ILLINOIS  HISTORICAL  SURVEY 


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HISTORY   OF   ILLINOIS 


BY 

L.    E.   ROBINSON.    A.M. 

PROFESSOR  OF    ENGLISH,    MONMOUTH    COLLEGE 
AND 

IRVING  MOORE 


NEW   YORK  •:•  CINCINNATI    •:•  CHICAGO 

AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY 
AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 


ENTERED  AT  STATIONERS'  HALL,    LONDON 
E.  P.  I 


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PREFACE 


It  is  important  that  every  American  citizen  should 
know  the  history  of  his  state  as  well  as  the  history  of  his 
country.  This  knowledge  of  state  history  can  best  be  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools,  and  it  is  primarily  to  furnish  a 
convenient  and  comprehensive  text  for  the  schools  of  the 
Prairie  State  that  the  authors  have  prepared  this  History  of 
Illinois. 

It  is  believed  that  teachers  who  use  the  book  will  be 
able  to  make  the  study  of  Illinois  history  more  interesting 
and  instructive  if  they  correlate  it  with  the  history  of 
the  United  States,  using  the  history  of  the  nation  as  a 
background  for  the  study  of  state  history.  It  will  be  easy 
to  show  pupils  how  the  state  history  fits  into  the  story 
of  the  nation,  especially  in  chapters  of  state  history  on 
such  subjects  as  Joliet  and  Marquette,  La  Salle,  George 
Rogers  Clark,  The  French  and  Indian  War,  Slavery  in 
Illinois,  Railroads,  Lincoln-Douglas  Debates,  and  Outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War. 

If  the  school  library  contains  books  treating  of  the  par- 
ticular topics  where  the  state  history  and  national  history 
meet,  the  plan  of  correlating  the  two  subjects  should  in- 
clude references  for  outside  reading.  There  are  many  such 
books,  among  which  the  following  will  be  found  particu- 
larly helpful:  Parkman's  La  Salle,  and  The  Jesuits  in 
North  America,  Baldwin's  Discovery  of  the  Old  Northwest,  and 
The  Conquest  of  the  Old  Northwest  (for  young  people),  Hins- 

3 


4  PREFACE 

dale's  The  Old  Northwest,  Thwaites's  How  George  Rogers 
Clark  Won  the  Northwest,  Wilson's  The  Slave  Power  in  Amer- 
ica, Linn's  Story  of  the  Mormons,  Warman's  Story  of  the 
Railroad,  Johnson's  Life  of  Douglas,  Nicolay's  or  Tarbell's 
Life  of  Lincoln,  Baldwin's  Abraham  Lincoln  (for  young 
people),  Grant's  Memoirs,  Macy's  or  Woodburn's  History  of 
Political  Parties,  Johnston's  History  of  American  Politics, 
Fiske's  The  Mississippi  Valley  in  the  Civil  War,  and  Hosmer's 
History  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  bibliography  found 
in  the  Appendix  is  intended  for  those  who  wish  to  pursue 
the  study  of  Illinois  history  further  than  is  provided  for  in 
the  text.  It  would  be  well  if  the  school  libraries  were  pro- 
vided with  copies  of  the  more  important  state  publications, 
such  as  the  Blue  Book,  the  reports  of  the  State  Historical 
Society,  the  session  laws  of  the  general  assembly,  and  the 
annual  reports  of  the  Farmers'  Institute,  the  Geological 
Survey,  the  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  and  other 
officers. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book  the  authors  have  en- 
deavored to  keep  in  mind  not  only  the  needs  of  teachers 
and  pupils,  but  those  of  the  general  reader  as  well.  As  a 
convenient  book  of  reference,  also,  they  venture  to  hope 
that  the  History  of  Illinois  may  commend  itself  to  librarians. 

The  thanks  of  the  authors  are  due  to  Mrs.  Jessie  Palmer 
Weber,  Secretary  of  the  State  Historical  Society,  and  to 
Mr.  Hugh  R.  Moffet  and  Mr.  Rufus  H.  Scott  of  Monmouth, 
for  use  of  illustrative  material. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  INTRODUCTION 7 

II.  MOUND  BUILDERS  AND  INDIANS 13 

III.  JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE 18 

IV.  LA  SALLE 25 

V.  THE  FIRST  SETTLEMENTS 31 

VI.  THE  FRENCH  IN  ILLINOIS 35 

VII.  THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR  (1754-1763) 39 

VIII.  ILLINOIS  UNDER  THE  BRITISH   (1765-1778) 45 

IX.  GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 49 

X.  ILLINOIS  A  COUNTY  OF  VIRGINIA  (1778-1784). . .  58 

XI.  THE  ORDINANCE  OF  1787 61 

XII.  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY,  AND  INDIANA  TERRITORY  64 

XIII.  THE  TERRITORY  OF  ILLINOIS 68 

XIV.  THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE 70 

XV.  ILLINOIS  AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  NINETEENTH 

CENTURY 73 

XVI.  ADMISSION  TO  THE  UNION;   THE  FIRST  CONSTITU- 
TION    79 

XVII.  SLAVERY  IN  ILLINOIS 83 

XVIII.  ADMINISTRATION    OF    NINIAN    EDWARDS    (1826- 

1830) 90 

XIX.  THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 92 

XX.  ILLINOIS  IN  1830-1840 99 

XXI.  STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI 104 

XXII.  THE  ANIMALS  OF  ILLINOIS 109 

XXIII.  ADMINISTRATION  OF  DUNCAN  (1834-1838) 112 

XXIV.  HARD  TIMES 118 

XXV.  THE  MORMONS 121 

XXVI.  CONSTITUTION  OF  1848;     FRENCH'S  ADMINISTRA- 
TION (1846-1853) 126 

5 


6  CONTENTS        ' 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXVII.  THE  COMMON  SCHOOL  SYSTEM 129 

XXVIII.  RAILROADS 132 

XXIX.  THE  ABOLITIONISTS 135 

XXX.  STEPHEN  A.  DOUGLAS  AND  THE  KANSAS-NEBRASKA 

BILL 138 

XXXI.  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN  PARTY  IN 

ILLINOIS 143 

XXXII.  LiNCOLN-DbuGLAS  DEBATES 148 

XXXIII.  THE  NOMINATION  AND  ELECTION  OF  LINCOLN.  . . .  154 

XXXIV.  ILLINOIS  IN  1860 , 160 

XXXV.  OUTBREAK  OF  THE  WAR 162 

XXXVI.  ILLINOIS'S  SHARE  IN  THE  STRUGGLE 168 

XXXVII.  AT  HOME  DURING  THE  WAR 170 

XXXVIII.  CHICAGO 177 

XXXIX.  UNDER  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  1870  188 

XL.  STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS 195 

XLI.  SCHOOLS 211 

XLII.  ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870 215 

APPENDIX 

1.  CHRONOLOGY 227 

2.  REFERENCE  BOOKS 229 

3.  ORIGIN  OF  CERTAIN  ILLINOIS  NAMES 230 

4.  LIST  OF  COUNTIES 237 

5.  UNITED  STATES  SENATORS  FROM  ILLINOIS  239 

6.  LIST  OF  GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS 240 

7.  CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS. 241 

INDEX 284 

MAPS 

GENERAL  MAP  OF  ILLINOIS .  .  Frontispiece 

ILLINOIS  IN  1834  . . 100 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


I.     INTRODUCTION 

Illinois  embraces  an  area  of  56,650  square  miles — just 
about  the  average  size  of  the  states  in  our  country.  Of 
this  area  650  square  miles  are  made  up  of  water  surface, 
principally  rivers.  Illinois  is  218  miles  wide  at  its  widest 
part.  Its  extreme  length  is  385  miles,  reaching  as  far 
north  as  Boston,  Mass.,  and  as  far  south  as  Richmond,  Va. 
It  is  very  fortunate  in  its  boundaries.  Its  entire  western 
side  is  washed  by  the  Mississippi,  while  its  southern  end 
reaches  to  the  Ohio.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Wis- 
consin, and  on  the  east  by  Lake  Michigan,  Indiana,  and 
the  Wabash  River.  Thus  more  than  two  thirds  of  its 
boundary  is  made  up  of  navigable  water.  This  fact  has 
been  of  great  importance  in  the  settlement  and  commercial 
growth  of  the  state.  The  Illinois  River,  also,  has  facili- 
tated the  development  of  the  interior.  The  rivers  of  the 
state  are  so  well  distributed  that  no  extensive  section  is 
without  an  outlet  for  its  surplus  rainfall. 

The  surrounding  states  are  all  of  a  higher  altitude  than 
Illinois.  Its  average  height  above  the  sea  level  is  about 
600  feet.  The  highest  point  is  Charles  Mound,  in  Jo 
Daviess  County,  which  is  1,257  feet  above  the  sea  and  600 

7 


8  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

feet  above  the  Mississippi.  The  surface  of  the  state,  as 
a  whole,  slopes  gently  southward ;  about  50  miles  from  the 
south  end,  however,  it  is  crossed  by  the  Ozark  Ridge,  the 
highest  point  of  which  is  985  feet  above  the  sea.  Beyond 
this  ridge  the  slope  continues  southward  to  Cairo,  the  low- 
est point  in  the  state,  about  300  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  great  length  of  the  state  gives  it  a  somewhat  vary- 
ing climate.  A  summer  temperature  of  105  degrees  is  not 
uncommon  in  the  southern  part,  while  in  the  northern 
counties  a  winter  temperature  of  35  degrees  below  zero 
has  been  registered.  The  average  temperature  is  about 
58  degrees.  The  average  rainfall  is  about  34  inches  a  year 
in  the  northern  part  and  41  inches  at  Cairo.  About  35 
inches  is  desirable  for  the  best  yield  of  corn.  Although 
corn  and  other  cereals  can  be  grown  in  every  part  of  the 
state,  yet  the  great  corn  belt  is  in  the  central  part.  The 
southern  portion  of  the  state  is  adapted  to  wheat,  while  in 
the  northern  counties  much  attention  is  given  to  dairying. 

The  state  is  for  the  most  part  composed  of  a  wonderfully 
rich  and  level  prairie  land.  The  French  word  prairie, 
meaning  meadow,  was  used  by  Hennepin  and  other  French 
explorers  in  the  seventeenth  century  to  describe  the  vast 
plains  they  found  in  this  region.  At  that  time  these 
great  plains  were  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  tall  blue- 
stem  and  other  varieties  of  wild  grass.  Many  flowers  of 
brilliant  hues  were  scattered  everywhere — it  was  a  land  of 
flowers.  It  is  uncertain  how  the  prairies  are  to  be  ac- 
counted for.  The  Indians  were  accustomed  to  set  fire  to 
the  prairie  grass  in  the  fall  in  order  to  provide  tender  pas- 


INTRODUCTION  9 

turage  in  the  spring  for  their  game;  and  some  think  that 
these  prairie  fires  prevented  the  spread  of  trees.  When  the 
first  white  men  came  to  Illinois  they  found  about  three 
fourths  of  its  area  treeless.  What  forests  there  were  con- 
sisted of  walnut,  ash,  elm,  maple,  honey  locust,  buckeye, 
cottonwood,  pecan,  hickory,  oak,  poplar,  sycamore,  some 
wild  fruit  trees  such  as  papaw,  plum,  crab  apple,  and  such 
undergrowth  as  grapevines,  redbud,  and  hazel.  Trees  were 
more  abundant  in  the  southern  counties  and  for  some  years 
supported  an  important  lumber  industry  there.  But  north- 
ward the  trees  have  always  been  limited,  so  far  as  we 
know,  to  the  margins  of  streams. 

The  settlers  were  spared  the  necessity  of  clearing  off  an 
overgrowth  of  heavy  vegetation,  as  had  been  necessary  in 
the  states  from  which  they  came.  The  soil  of  the  older 
states  when  cleared  of  timber  was  mellow  and  easily  broken 
by  a  wooden  plow  with  a  sharp  iron  sheath  in  front.  But 
in  Illinois  the  deep,  thickset  roots  of  the  prairie  grass  did 
not  yield  easily  to  these  frail  half-wooden  plows.  This  was 
the  first  state  where  the  settlers  had  to  face  the  problems 
of  prairie  tillage  in  a  large  way,  and  the  demand  for  more 
effective  machinery  stimulated  invention.  The  first  steel 
plow  in  America  was  invented  in  1837  by  Harvey  May,  a 
citizen  of  Knox  County.  This  was  the  beginning  of  nu- 
merous Illinois  inventions  which  have  contributed  to  make 
the  state  rank  first  in  the  manufacture  of  agricultural 
implements. 

New  York  and  Pennsylvania  are  the  only  states  that 
have  a  greater  population  than  Illinois.  By  the  census  of 


10  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1900,  Illinois  had  4,821,550  inhabitants.  Since  then  the 
population  has  grown  considerably  beyond  the  five  million 
mark.  There  are  102  counties  and  about  1,000  incorpo- 
rated towns  and  cities  in  the  state.  More  than  half  of  the 
people  live  in  towns  and  cities  of  over  4,000  inhabitants 
each.  The  chief  city,  Chicago,  is  the  second  largest  city  in 
the  New  World.  The  capital  of  Illinois,  Springfield,  is  an 
inland  city  of  over  36,000. 

The  state  ranks  first  in  the  Union  in  the  total  value  of 
farm  lands  and  improvements;  and  first  in  the  total  value 
of  all  cereals  produced.  Illinois  likewise  holds  first  place 
in  the  slaughtering  and  meat-packing  industry,  with  a  pro- 
duction valued  at  more  than  one  third  of  the  total  of  that 
industry  in  the  United  States.  In  an  important  sense, 
Chicago  is  the  meat  market  of  the  nation.  Illinois  is  the 
third  manufacturing  state  in  the  Union,  and  Chicago  is  the 
second  manufacturing  city.  Illinois  manufactures  more 
agricultural  implements  than  any  other  state,  and  there  is 
scarcely  a  place  in  the  civilized  world  where  the  imple- 
ments made  here  are  not  used.  It  ranks  first  also  in  the 
manufacture  of  watches  and  of  distilled  liquors;  and  second 
in  the  manufacture  of  furniture,  musical  instruments,  soap, 
and  men's  clothing.  While  there  are  no  forests  to  speak 
of  in  Illinois,  yet  it  has  the  lumber  industries  of  Michigan, 
Minnesota,  Wisconsin,  and  Canada  to  draw  upon.  The 
furniture  industry  of  Illinois  owes  much  of  its  prosperity  to 
the  central  location  of  the  state  and  its  excellent  transpor- 
tation facilities. 

Illinois  manufactures  more  railway  cars  than  any  other 


INTRODUCTION  11 

state,  and  has  the  greatest  steam  railway  mileage.  The 
20,000  miles  of  railway  in  operation  furnish  abundant 
transportation  facilities  to  all  parts  of  the  commonwealth. 
Chicago  is  the  greatest  railroad  center  in  the  world.  There 
are  more  than  1,200  banking  institutions  in  the  state,  with  a 
grand  total  of  more  than  $150,000,000,  capital  and  surplus. 
Illinois  ranks  second  among  the  states  of  the  Union  in  print- 
ing and  publishing.  More  than  1,700  periodicals  of  all 
kinds  are  published  in  the  state.  Among  the  states  of  the 
Mississippi  valley,  Illinois  expends  the  most  money  for  ed- 
ucational purposes,  and  publishes  the  largest  number  of 
books,  newspapers,  and  periodicals. 

This  is  a  remarkable  development  for  a  state  less  than  a 
century  old.  Among  the  causes  that  have  brought  about 
this  rapid  growth  are  her  large  area  of  fertile  soil  underlain 
with  great  stores  of  mineral  wealth,  and  her  fortunate 
position  in  the  heart  of  two  of  the  greatest  river  valleys  of 
the  continent.  Geographically,  Illinois  is  the  natural  cen- 
ter of  trade  and  exchange  for  the  eastern  and  western  halves 
of  the  United  States;  and  the  position  of  Chicago  on  the 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan  gives  the  state  a  focal  point  for 
this  trade.  By  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  and  Lake 
Michigan,  Illinois  has  deep-water  communication  with  the 
world. 

About  40,000  square  miles,  or  two  thirds  of  the  surface 
of  the  state,  is  underlain  with  a  fine  quality  of  soft  or 
bituminous  coal, — the  largest  coal  area  possessed  by  a 
single  state  in  the  country.  The  first  coal  discovered  in 
America  was  found  in  Illinois  by  a  French  priest,  Father 


12  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Hennepin,  in  1679,  near  the  present  site  of  Ottawa.  Coal 
was  first  mined  in  the  state  in  1810,  in  Jackson  County. 
The  abundance  of  coal  is  a  source  of  great  wealth  and  is  an 
important  factor  in  making  Illinois  a  manufacturing  state. 

Oil  was  for  some  years  found  in  small  quantities  only.  In 
1905  important  discoveries  were  made  in  a  number  of  coun- 
ties in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  and  now  the  state 
ranks  high  in  the  production  of  petroleum. 

Illinois  has  another  source  of  wealth  in  her  widely  dis- 
tributed clay  deposits.  More  than  500  Illinois  firms  are 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  commercial,  paving,  and 
pressed  brick,  draintile,  roofing  tile,  sewer  pipe,  and  vari- 
ous kinds  of  pottery. 

Limestone  is  found  in  large  quantities.  More  than  160 
quarries  in  thirty  different  counties  are  in  operation.  The 
harder  kinds  of  stone  are  used  for  building;  the  softer,  for 
making  lime  and  cement.  The  quarries  of  the  state  have 
furnished  stone  for  many  of  the  important  buildings  in  Chi- 
cago and  elsewhere  in  the  state. 

Lead  and  zinc  ores  have  been  found  in  paying  quantities 
in  Jo  Daviess  and  Stephenson  counties.  Lead  was  first 
mined  in  Illinois  about  1826,  and  zinc  was  first  marketed 
in  1860.  The  mines  in  the  region  about  Galena  produced 
the  largest  amounts  of  ore  between  1840  and  1850. 

Fluorspar  was  discovered  near  Shawneetown  in  1819. 
This  mineral  was  first  mined  in  Hardin  County,  and  this 
county  still  has  one  of  the  largest  mines  of  fluorspar  in  the 
United  States.  It  is  used  in  making  enamel  and  glasswrare, 
in  steel  making,  and  in  other  foundry  work. 


II.    MOUND  BUILDERS  AND  INDIANS 

Illinois  was  once  the  home  of  a  people  whom  we  call  the 
Mound  Builders,  from  the  strange  earthen  mounds  which 
they  built  throughout  the  Mississippi  valley.  But  who 
they  were,  whence  they  came,  and  whither  they  went,  no 
one  knows,  not  even  the  Indians  whom  the  first  white  men 
found  here.  Perhaps  they  were  the  ancestors  of  the  Az- 
tecs or  the  Incas,  or  perhaps  they  were  exterminated  or  as- 
similated by  the  Indians  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  The 
most  recent  view  is  that  they  were  simply  the  ancestors  of 
the  Indians  of  this  region. 

The  mounds  they  made  vary  in  size  and  shape,  represent- 


RELICS  FOUND  IN  MOUNDS 

ing  in  some  instances  birds,  beasts,  reptiles,  also  pyramids 
and  other  geometric  figures  which  indicate  that  the  Mound 
Builders  were  somewhat  removed  from  savagery.  Some  of 
these  earthworks  were  built  for  war,  some  for  burial,  some 
for  religious  purposes;  but  it  is  impossible  to  say  to  what  use 
others  were  put.  In  them  along  with  the  bones  of  the  build- 
ers are  found  their  tools  and  weapons  of  stone  and  copper, 

13 


14  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

fragments  of  the  cloth  they  wove,  and  pottery  they  made. 
For  instance,  chopping  axes  made  of  grooved  stone  and 
weighing  sometimes  as  much  as  twenty-three  pounds, 
grooved  stone  hammers,  battle-axes,  various  agricultural 
implements,  stone  trays,  pipes  of  numerous  designs,  and 
small  stone  idols  have  been  taken  from  these  mounds.  One 
of  the  most  remarkable  things  found  there  was  an  image  of 
human  form  made  from  a  large  piece  of -fluorspar. 

These  mounds  are  found  in  different  parts  of  the  state, 
especially  along  the  Rock  and  Illinois  rivers.    In  Craw- 
ford County  there  is  a  group  of  fifty 
mounds.     But  the   chief   dwelling  of 
this  people  seems  to  have  been  in  the 
"Great  American  BottomJ'  that  is, 
the  low  fertile  tract  about  75  miles 
long  and  from  five  to  ten  miles  wide 
along  the  Mississippi  River  south  of 
East  St.  Louis.    At  the  old  site  of 
Cahokia,  across  from  St. 
Louis,    there   are   about 
one     hundred     mounds. 
One  of  this  group  is  the     \ 
largest  earthwork  in  the 
United  States.    Shaped  some- ^ 
what  like  a  pyramid,  it  rises  in 
four  terraces  to  a  height  of  one          WIGWAM 
hundred  feet;  its  base  covers  fourteen  acres,  an  area  larger 
than  that  covered  by  the  largest  Egyptian  pyramid. 

The  Indians  of  Illinois  were  very  little  different  from  the 


MOUND  BUILDERS  AND  INDIANS  15 

other  Indians  of  North  America.  They  lived  in  lodges  or 
wigwams,  and  clothed  themselves  in  skins  of  animals.  The 
forest,  prairie,  and  stream  abundantly  supplied  them  with 
meat,  and  the  squaws  raised  small  patches  of  corn  and  vege- 
tables. Their  learning  was  confined  to  the  ways  of  the  for- 
est, and  their  religion  was  but  a  superstition.  Hence  they 
made  but  little  progress  and  lived  on  in  the  same  way  from 
generation  to  generation. 
The  densest  Indian  population  of  the  West  was  along 


BUFFALO 

the  Illinois  River,  where  there  were  several  large  Indian 
towns.  And  no  wonder,  for  Illinois,  with  its  broad  prairies 
where  fed  the  buffalo  and  deer,  and  its  streams  and  forests 
full  of  all  manner  of  fish  and  fowl,  was  a  very  congenial 
home  for  the  red  man.  The  different  nations  within  its 


16 

bounds  were  often  at  war  with  one  another  for  its  posses- 
sion, and  it  is  not  surprising  that  so  beautiful  and  produc- 
tive a  country  should  be  coveted  by  other  tribes  as  well. 
Its  fame  spread  even  to  the  Iroquois  in  New  York,  who 
desired  it  very  much  for  a  hunting  ground,  and  who,  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  made  a  great 
raid  down  the  Illinois  River.  Five  hundred  picked  Iro- 
quois attacked  the  Illinois  Indians  and  put  them  to  rout. 
Thereafter  the  Long  House,  as  the  Iroquois  Indians  were 
called,  laid  claim  to  the  country,  although  they  never  came 
here  to  live. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  state  was 
inhabited  by  several  different  tribes.  The  most  numerous 
of  these  were  the  Illinois,  who  had  returned  after  their  de- 
feat by  the  Iroquois.  They  were  a  confederation  composed 
of  the|  Kaskaskias,  Peorias,  Tamaroas,  Cahokias,  and  Miche- 
gameas.)  Their  largest  villages  were  on  the  Illinois  River, 
and  their  favorite  hunting  ground  was  in  central  Illinois, 
but  they  claimed  all  the  country  westward  from  the  Illi- 
nois to  the  Mississippi,  and  southward  to  the  Ohio.  Father 
Membre,  one  of  La  Salle's  exploring  party,  tells  us  that 
they  were  "tall  of  stature,  strong  and  robust,  the  swiftest 
runners  in  the  world,  and  good  archers,  proud  yet  affa- 
ble .  .  .  idle,  revengeful,  jealous,  cunning,  dissolute, 
and  thievish." 

The  combined  tribes  of  Sacs  and  Foxes  lived  near  Rock 
Island;  the  Miamis  near  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  state; 
the  Pottawatomies  in  the  region  between  Lake  Michigan 
and  the  Illinois  River.  The  Kickapoos,  the  most  ambi- 


MOUND  BUILDERS  AND  INDIANS  17 

tious  and  the  most  bitter  against  the  white  man,  built 
their  wigwams  on  the  prairies  around  the  present  sites  of 
Springfield  and  Bloomington.  There  were  also  remnants 
of  several  other  tribes  in  the  state.  As  their  places  of 
abode  were  constantly  changing,  the  boundaries  of  the 
different  tribes  were  not  well  defined;  and  as  they  became 
fewer  in  numbers  several  tribes  would  often  unite  and  form 
a  new  tribe  or  confederation. 

In  many  cases  the  white  settlers  were  to  blame  for  the 
trouble  the  Indians  caused  them.  The  whites  often 
treated  the  red  man  as  if  he  were  a  brute  instead  of  a 
human  being.  They  cheated  him,  took  his  land  even 
when  they  did  not  need  it,  and  violated  many  of  his  rights. 
The  savages  were  thus  often  stirred  up  to  revenge  in  the 
form  of  pillage,  fire,  and  murder. 

The  Indians  were  not  altogether  a  hindrance.  In  some 
ways  they  were  an  aid  to  the  exploration  and  settlement  of 
the  state.  They  acted  as  guides  for  the  explorer,  and  be- 
ing on  good  terms  with  the  French,  sold  them  furs  and  often 
furnished  them  with  food.  Their  trade  led  to  the  settle- 
ment of  the  country.  Although  the  red  men  have  van- 
ished they  have  a  lasting  monument  in  the  names  they 
have  left  on  our  map — the  name  of  the  state  itself,  the 
names  of  its  largest  rivers,  of  some  of  its  counties,  and  of 
many  of  its  towns  and  cities. 


Illinois— 2 


III.    JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE 

The  first  white  man  to  visit  the  Illinois  country  of  whom 
there  is  any  record  was  a  Frenchman  by  the  name  of  _  Jean 
Nipfllrt.  He  discovered  Lake  Michigan  in  1634,  and  at 
the  same  time  perhaps  visited  the  region  about  Fox 
River  and  the  northern  villages  of  the  Illinois  Indians. 
Following  him  came  the  French  coureurs  de  bois  and  voya- 
geurs,  the  fur  traders  and  the  trappers,  who  in  all  probabil- 
ity roamed  over  Illinois  before  the  coming  of  Joliet  or  La 
Salle,  but  left  no  written  account  of  their  adventures. 

The  French  in  Canada  had  long  heard  from  the  Indians 
stories  of  the  far  away  Mississippi  and  the  land  of  the  Illi- 
nois. Bold  and  restless,  they  wished  very  much  to  see 
this  region  for  themselves  and  claim  it  for  their  king.  So 
Louis  Joliet  (1645-1700),  who  had  visited  the  copper.mines 
of  Lake  Superior,  and  who  was  perhaps  the  first  white  man 
to  sail  on  Lake  Erie,  obtained  from  Frontenac,  the  governor 
of  Canada,  a  commission  to  find  the  Mississippi  and  ex- 
plore the  regions  roundabout.  He  secured  as  a  companion 
Father  Jacques  Marquette,  and  a  better  qualified  man  for 
the  undertaking  he  could  not  have  found,  for  this  Jesuit 
priest  had  a  knowledge  of  half  a  dozen  Indian  dialects  and  a 
singular  faculty  for  gaining  the  good  will  of  the  savages. 

Joliet  joined  Marquette  on  the  festival  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception.  The  good  father,  having  long  desired  to 

18 


JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE 


19 


undertake  the  expedition,  was  so  full  of  joy  that  he  resolved 
to  name  the  first  mission  that  he  should  establish  in  the  un- 
known country  the  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception. 
And  so  he  did.  To  the  Indians  who  tried  to  turn  him  from 
the  venture  by  picturing  the  dangers  of  the  way  and  the 


JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE  ON  THEIR  JOURNEY 

wildness  of  the  men,  he  replied  in  these  brave  words:  "I 
shall  gladly  lay  down  my  life  for  the  salvation  of  men." 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1673,  accompanied  by  five  men, 
Joliet  and  Marquette  started  on  their  perilous  journey, 
with  two  birchbark  canoes,  a  bag  of  corn 'meal,  some 
smoked  meat,  a  blanket  apiece,  and  beads  and  crosses. 
They  ascended  to  the  head  of  Fox  River,  carried  their 


20  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

canoes  across  the  narrow  portage  to  the  Wisconsin  River, 
and  sailed  down  the  Wisconsin  until  their  frail  birchbarks 
floated  on  the  mighty  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  They  were 
the  first  white  men  to  view  the  upper  waters  of  the  river. 

As  they  floated  down  the  Mississippi  they  came  upon  a 
path  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  Following  this, 
Marquette  and  Joliet  came  in  sight  of  an  Indian  village. 
Four  men  came  to  meet  them,  offered  them  the  peace 
pipe,  and  escorted  them  to  the  village,  where  the  whole 
tribe  gathered  to  welcome  them  with  much  ceremony. 
The  old  chief  addressed  them  in  words  something  like  these: 
"I  thank  thee,  black  gown,  and  thee,  Frenchman,  for 
taking  so  much  pains  to  come  and  visit  us.  Never  has  the 
earth  been  so  beautiful,  nor  the  sun  so  bright  as  to-day. 
Never  has  our  river  been  so  calm  nor  so  free  from  rocks 
and  sandbars  which  your  canoes  have  removed  in  passing; 
never  has  our  tobacco  had  so  fine  a  flavor,  nor  our  corn 
appeared  so  beautiful.  I  pray  thee  to  take  pity  upon  me 
and  on  all  my  nation.  Thou  knowest  the  Great  Spirit 
who  made  us  all.  Thou  speakest  to  him  and  hearest  his 
words.  Ask  him  to  give  me  life  and  health,  and  come  and 
dwell  with  us  that  we  may  know  him." 

Marquette  and  Joliet  floated  down  the  Mississippi  until, 
it  is  supposed,  they  came  to  the  Arkansas.  Satisfied  that 
the  Mississippi  flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  fearing 
to  descend  farther  on  account  of  the  Spaniards,  who  held 
control  of  the  lower  river,  they  turned  back  and  began  the 
laborious  journey  upstream.  When  they  came  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois,  being  assured  by  the  Indians  that  it  of- 


JOLIET  AND  MARQUETTE  21 

fered  an  easier  and  shorter  route  home  to  Canada,  they 
took  it. 

As  they  passed  up  the  Illinois  they  were  enchanted  by 
the  beauty  of  the  country.  Prairies,  dotted  with  the 
brightest  flowers,  stretched  out  beyond  the  reach  of  vision. 
Great  herds  of  buffalo  and  deer  grazed  on  the  rich  pas- 
tures, and  wild  fruit,  fish,  and  fowl  abounded  on  every 
hand.  No  wonder  they  spoke  of  it  as  a  terrestrial  para- 
dise. They  visited  the  villages  of  the  Peoria  Indians,  and 
Marquette  preached  at  the  Indian  town  called  Kaskaskia 
and  promised  to  visit  it  again  and  establish  a  mission  there. 
"Had  this  voyage,"  wrote  he,  "caused  but  the  salvation  of 
a  single  soul,  I  should  deem  all  my  fatigue  well  repaid." 
They  made  their  way  to  Lake  Michigan,  and  to  Green  Bay, 
where  Marquette  remained  to  recruit  his  strength,  while 
Joliet  returned  to  Quebec. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1674,  Marquette,  with  two 
Frenchmen  and  a  number  of  Indians,  set  out  for  Kaskas- 
kia to  fulfill  his  promise.  But  on  the  way,  when  he  had 
reached  the  Chicago  River,  he  was  taken  with  a  sickness 
brought  on  by  privation  and  exposure,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  build  a  hut  and  wait  until  the  opening  of  spring. 
During  the  winter  the  Frenchmen  lived  on  the  game  they 
shot,  and  the  neighboring  Indians  furnished  them  with 
corn  and  greatly  cheered  them  by  kindly  attentions. 
When  again  in  the  spring  Marquette  came  among  the 
Illinois  he  was  received  with  great  respect  and  reverence. 
As  he  moved  among  them  in  their  rude  wigwams,  with  his 
quiet  and  gentle  manners,  he  must  have  seemed  to  them 


22  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

indeed  like  an  angel  of  light.  A  great  number  gathered 
on  the  plains  to  hear  him  preach,  and  here  at  Kaskaskia 
on  the  Illinois  River,  near  the  present  site  of  Tjj.if.fl.  he 
established  the  first  mission  in  Illinois. 
/But  ill  health  compelled  him  to  leave  again.  On  his 
way  north  with  his  two  French  companions  he  grew 
weaker  and  died,  May  18,  1675,  in  the  vast  wilderness 
he  had  given  his  life  to  redeem.  He  was  buried  on  the 
east  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  a  great  cross  was  raised 
over  his  grave.  A  year  and  a  half  later,  some  Ottawa  In- 
dians to  whom  he  had  preached  repaired  to  his  grave, 
reverently  disinterred  the  remains,  placed  them  in  a  box 
of  birchbark,  and  with  an  escort  of  thirty  canoes  removed 
them  to  the  nearest  Catholic  church,  at  Mackinac,  where 
they  laid  them  in  their  final  resting  place. 

Illinois  may  well  be  proud  that  the  name  of  such  a  man, 
greater  than  prince  or  potentate,  appears  in  her  annals. 
He  was  the  most  successful  of  all  the  missionaries  to  the 
Indians.  Through  the  peace,  purity,  and  humility  of  his 
own  life  he  softened  their  savage  natures  and  developed  their 
higher  and  better  feelings.  His  hold  upon  the  affections  of 
all  was  wonderful.  His  participation  in  the  expedition 
with  Joliet  won  him  a  place  in  history;  but  his  cheerful, 
self-sacrificing,  lofty  character  has  gained  him  a  more  en- 
viable place  in  the  hearts  of  men. 

Through  Marquette  and  others  the  early  history  of  the 
state  becomes  connected  with  that  remarkable  religious 
order,  the  Jesuits.  Their  work  in  the  wilderness  of  Amer- 
ica calls  for  much  approval.  They  seem  to  have  been 


JOL1ET  AND  MARQUETTE 


23 


peculiarly  fitted  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  Indians. 
Wherever  the  savages  pitched  their  wigwams,  there  they 
penetrated,  erected  the 
cross,  preached  to  the 
wandering  braves,  and 
dwelt  with  them  until 
they  wron  them.  Neither 
winter's  cold  nor  sum- 
mer's heat,  nor  pesti- 
lence nor  scalping  knife, 
could  deter  them.  With 
no  weapons  but  the  cru- 
cifix and  breviary,  with 
no  aids  but  the  compass 
and  savage  guides,  with 
no  earthly  comforts  to 
cheer  them  and  no 
earthly  gains  to  lure 
them,  they  paddled  their 
frail  canoes  up  unknown 
and  hazardous  streams, 
carried  them  over  tedious  and  difficult  portages,  made  their 
way  across  trackless  prairies  and  through  pathless  woods, 
braved  hostile  tribes,  courted  cruel  punishment  and  death, 
all  for  their  church  and  their  king. 


A  PORTAGE 


LA  SALLE 


24 


IV.    LA  SALLE 

Robert  Cavelier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle,  was  the  greatest  of 
the  French  explorers,  though  both  man  and  nature  seemed 
leagued  against  his  undertakings  and  made  his  life  a 
tragedy.  Through  his  efforts  the  Mississippi  valley  was 
secured  to  the  French  crown.  Long  before  his  contempo- 
raries he  saw  the  value  of  this  region,  and  tried  to  colonize 
it  and  make  it  a  part  of  New  France,  secure  against  the 
molestation  of  its  enemies. 

f  La  Salle  came  to  Canada  at  an  early  age,  explored  Lakes 
Ontario  and  Erie,  and  it  is  claimed  that  he  discovered  the 
Ohio  River.  At  any  rate,  he  came  to  see  the  greatness  of 
the  country  and  determined  that  it  should  belong  to 
France.  So  in  1677  he  returned  to  France  and  interested 
the  court  of  Louis  XIV.  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  He  pro- 
posed to  connect  it  with  Canada  by  a  line  of  military  posts, 
and  returned  to  America  with  funds  to  carry  out  his  plans. 
With  him  came  one  whose  name  will  ever  be  linked  with 
his,  Henry  de  Tonty,  an  Italian  soldier  of  fortune,  who, 
with  devotion  and  faithfulness  that  balked  at  no  labor  or 
danger,  was  to  follow  him  through  almost  intolerable  toils 
and  sufferings.  Tonty  had  lost  a  hand  in  the  Sicilian  wars, 
in  place  of  which  he  carried  a  hand  of  copper  which  he 
used  with  good  effect  against  his  enemies,  so  that  the  In- 
dians called  him  the  Man  with  the  Iron  Hand. 

25 


26 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


In  1679,  with  the  aid  of  Tonty,  La  Salle  built  on  the 
•shores  of  Lake  Erie  a  ship,  which  he  called  the  Griffin. 
This  was  to  assist  him  in  his  explorations,  to  furnish  him 
with  easy  communication  with  Canada,  to  carry  back  furs 
and  supply  him  with  provisions.  In  this  same  year,  with 
a  party  of  thirty-three,  among  whom  were  Tonty,  Father 
Hennepin,  and  Father  Membre,  he  set  out  to  find  the  Mis- 
sissippi. He  ascended  the  St.  Joseph  River,  transported 
the  canoes  across  the  short  portage  to  the  Kankakee,  and 
descended  it  until  he  came  to  the  Illinois. 

Og  January  5th,  1680,  he  passed  through  Lake  Peoria, 

and  came  upon  a  vil- 
lage of  the  Illinois  In- 
dians.    Fearing    that 
they  might  be  hostile, 
he  arranged  his  canoes 
in  warlike  order  and 
bore  down  upon  them. 
The      Indians      were 
frightened  and  many 
of  them    fled   at   his 
approach.   The  others 
offered  overtures  of  peace  and  showed  him  many  courte- 
sies.    However,  a  Frenchman  who  was  unfriendly  to  him 
sent  word  to  the  Indians  that  La  Salle  was  a  spy  of  their 
dreaded  enemies  the  Iroquois,  and  they  became  sullen  and 
tried  to  dissuade  him  from  the  journey  by  magnifying  the 
dangers.    Many  of  his  men,  hearing  these  stories  from  the 
Indians,  and  already  dissatisfied  with  following  him  on  so 


THE  GRIFFIN 


LA  SALLE  27 

wild  an  undertaking,  resolved  to  return  home  before  going 
too  far,  and  so  deserted  him.  An  attempt  was  made  to 
poison  him.  To  add  to  his  troubles  he  could  not  hear  from 
the  Griffin,  which  was  to  furnish  him  with  provisions.  He 
feared  that  it  was  lost  and  that  consequently  the  expedition 
would  have  to  be  abandoned,. 

For  the  protection  of  his  party  he  built  a  fort  on  the 
eastern  bank  of  the  Illinois  River,  and  because  of  his  many 
^nisfortunes,  called  it  Crevecoeur  (broken-hearted).  Here 
he  began  to  build  another  ship,  in  which  to  descend  the 
river.  Not  hearing  from  the  Griffin,  and  needing  supplies, 
in  March,  1680,  he  left  Tonty  in  command  at  the  fort,  and 
with  four  Frenchmen  and  an  Indian  guide,  set  out  for  Can- 
ada. With  only  a  blanket  and  a  few  skins  from  which  to 
make  moccasins,  with  no  food  but  what  the  gun  afforded,  he 
traveled  twelve  hundred  miles  by  canoe  and  on  foot  through 
forests,  marshes,  and  melting  snows,  only  to  find  that  his 
ship  had  been  destroyed  and  his  goods  stolen. 

No  better  fortune  awaited  Tonty  at  Fort  Crevecoeur. 
His  men  mutinied,  took  possession  of  the  ammunition  and 
supplies,  destroyed  the  fort,  and  deserted  him.  He  retired 
to  the  Indian  villages,  where  a  worse  thing  befell  him.  It 
was  just  then  that  the  Iroquois  made  their  great  attack 
upon  the  Illinois  (p.  16),  and  in  his  efforts  to  make  peace 
between  the  warring  tribes,  he  was  wounded,  and  was  sus- 
pected by  both  sides,  and  he  barely  escaped  with  his  life. 
After  many  wanderings  and  hardships  he  found  his  way 
to  a  village  of  the  Pottawatomies,  where  he  spent  the  fol- 
lowing winter. 


28 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


Becoming  anxious  for  Tonty,  upon  whom  he  relied  so 
much,  La  Salle,  in  August,  1680,  set  out  for  the  Indian 
villages  near  Peoria.  'But  he  found  them  deserted  and 
destroyed,  and  Tonty  and  he  did  not  meet  until  the  next 
spring.  Although  his  enemies  were  plotting  against  him 
and  striving  to  seize  his  goods  to  satisfy  the  debts  incurred 
in  the  former  expedition,  yet  he  set  out  again  in  December, 
1681,  to  explore  the  Mississippi  to  its  mouth.  He  went  by 
way  of  the  Chicago  and  Des  Plaines  rivers  to  the  Illinois. 


LA  SALLE  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

He  passed  down  that  stream,  and  down  the  Mississippi, 
and  at  length  on  April  7,  1682,  after  years  of  toil,  danger,' 
and  disappointment,  he  was  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  where  the  great  river  ended.  At  one  of 
its  mouths  he  erected  a  column  bearing  the  arms  of  France, 


LA   SALLE  29 

^ 

and  after  chanting  the  Te  Deum,  amid  volleys  of  musketry 
and  shouts  of  Vive  le  Roi,  he  took  possession  of  the  country, 
which  he  called  Louisiana  in  honor  of  Louis  XIV.,  his  king. 

Returning  to  Illinois,  he  proceeded  to  carry  out  his  plans 
by  establishing  a  colony  at  Starved  Rock — a  naturally  for- 
tified place  on  the  Illinois  River  near  the  present  site  of 
Utica.  The  space  was  cleared  of  trees  and  underbrush,  a 
blockhouse,  storehouse,  and  dwelling  were  built,  outworks 
thrown  up,  and  palisades  erected.  Father  Membre  offered 
the  dedicatory  prayer,  and  the  place  was  named  Fort  St. 
Louis  of  the  Rock.  The  Indians  gathered  around  the  fort 
for  protection  and  trade.  Frenchmen  came  in  numbers  to 
assist  in  the  building  of  the  colony,  and  many  of  them 
remained,  built  themselves  homes,  and  planted  large  fields 
of  corn.  La  Salle  spent  the  summer  here,  and  Tonty  re- 
mained several  years.  But  Frontenac  was  succeeded  as 
governor  of  Canada  by  one  who  from  selfish  motives  op- 
posed La  Salle's  scheme,  and  the  surrounding  Indian  tribes 
were  driven  south  and  west  by  the  Iroquois,  so  that  the 
colony  of  Fort  St.  Louis  of  the  Rock — the  first  in  Illinois — 
declined  and  was  finally  abandoned. 

In  1684  La  Salle  was  again  in  France  and  again  found 
favor  at  court.  He  returned  with  four  ships  and  a  large 
number  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  to  establish  a 
fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  and  colonize  its  valley. 
But  by  mistake  the  mouth  of  the  river  was  passed,  and  the 
commander  of  the  ships  refused  to  turn  back  in  search  of 
it.  A  landing  was  made  and  a  fort  built  on  the  Texas 
coast.  La  Salle  set  out  on  foot  to  find  the  Mississippi,  but 


30  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

his  men  became  mutinous,  deserted  him,  and  finally  assas- 
sinated him,  March  19,  1687.  The  Texas  colony  soon 
perished. 

In  spite  of  La  Salle's  unheard-of  labors  and  his  fearful 
journeys,  in  spite  of  faithless  countrymen  and  treacherous 
savages,  he  persevered  to  the  end  against  obstacles  that 
would  have  stopped  forever  one  less  bold  and  hardy. 
Brave  men  were  these  early  explorers.  Their  thirst  for 
adventure  together  with  their  sense  of  the  strategic  and 
commercial  importance  of  particular  localities,  and  of  the 
Mississippi  valley  in  general,  was  marvelous.  But  none 
of  them  was  wiser  or  braver  than  the  great  La  Salle. 


V.    THE  FIRST  SETTLEMENTS 

It  will  be  remembered  that  just  before  Marquette's 
death,  he  established  a  mission  at  the  Indian  village  of 
Kaskaskia  on  the  Illinois  River.  His  work  was  not  aban- 
doned. In  1677,  Father  Allouez  (al-loo-a)  erected  a  cross 
twenty-five  feet  high  in  the  village,  celebrated  mass,  and 
administered  the  sacrament  of  baptism:  from  that  time  on 
the  village  was  not  without  a  priest.  In  all  probability 
other  Frenchmen  were  there  besides  the  priest,  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  mission  house  and  the  presence  of  a  priest  al- 
ways formed  the  nucleus  for  a  settlement  of  traders  and 
trappers.  Not  infrequently  these  hardy  adventurers  took 
to  themselves  Indian  wives,  built  houses,  and  cultivated 
small  pieces  of  ground.  In  some  such  way  began  the 
French  settlements  in  Illinois. 

But  through  fear  of  the  Iroquois,  and  perhaps  to  gain 
the  trade  of  the  trappers  who  were  coming  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi by  way  of  the  Fox  and  the  Wisconsin  rivers,  in- 
stead of  by  the  Illinois  as  at  first,  the  Indians  around  the 
Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  left  their  village 
and  pitched  their  wigwams  where  the  Kaskaskia  flows  into 
the  Mississippi.  They  gave  their  new  town  the  name  of 
the  old  one.  The  mission  moved  with  the  Indians.  Thus 
was  begun  the  present  town  of  Kaskaskia.  This  was 
about  1700.  Perhaps  a  little  earlier  than  this  occurred  the 

31 


32  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

founding  of  the  settlement  at  Cahokia.  For  it  appears 
that  in  the  same  year  there  were  three  French  mission- 
aries and  a  number  of  traders  at  that  place. 

Both  settlements  grew  rapidly;  for  they  were  favorably 
located  on  the  highway  of  the  trapper  and  trader,  the  cli- 
mate and  soil  were  favorable  to  production,  and  the  forest 
and  river  abounded  with  game  and  fish.  At  Cahokia  the 
priests  lived  on  a  large  farm,  and  built  mills  to  grind  corn 
and  cut  lumber/  At  Kaskaskia  they  built  a  monastery 
in  1721 ;  at  the  same  place  they  had  a  stone  church  and 
chapel,  an  extensive  brewery  and  storehouses,  and  a  well 
stocked  farm  of  more  than  two  hundred  acres.  Both 
French  and  Indians  would  gather  in  the  little  chapels  for 
religious  instruction.  The  priests  were  not  idle,  and  from 
their  letters  we  learn  of  their  attempts  to  christianize  the 
savages,  which  they  found  to  be  a  very  discouraging  task. 
Soon  other  villages  arose  near  by — Prairie  du  Rocher,  and 
Prairie  du  Pont.  In  1717  there  were  about  300  white  people 
in  the  Illinois  country. 

Prior  to  1712  Illinois  was  a  part  of  Canada,  but  in  that 
year  it  was  joined  with  the  settlements  of  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi under  the  name  of  Louisiana.  Even  then  it  is 
probable  that  the  only  government  was  the  authority  and 
restraining  power  of  the  priests.  A  rumor  became  current 
in  France  that  the  new  territory  was  rich  in  gold  and  silver. 
The  French  king,  thinking  to  enrich  his  treasury,  issued  a 
royal  grant  to  one  of  his  favorites,  Crozat,  giving  him  the 
exclusive  right  to  mine  precious  metals  and  to  trade  in  the 
territory  of  Louisiana.  But  no  gold  or  silver  was  found, 


THE  FIRST  SETTLEMENTS  33 

and  Crozat,  failing  to  make  himself  rich,  surrendered  the 
charter  to  the  crown,  1717. 

The  failure  of  Crozat  did  not  dispel  from  the  French 
mind  the  idea  that  the  Mississippi  valley  was  rich  in  the 
precious  metals,  so  a  company  was  formed,  called  the  Com- 
pany of  the  West,  to  have  control  of  Louisiana — its  mines, 
commerce,  colonization,  and  government.  At  its  head 
was  the  notorious  John  Law, -who  was  seconded  in  his 
schemes  by  the  regent  of  France.  It  promised  great 
returns  for  all  money  invested,  and  many  people,  in  their 
haste  to  get  rich,  put  into  it  all  they  had.  '  A  frenzy  for 
gambling  and  speculation  seized  France,  and  all  moderate 
and  honest  gains  became  despised.  Even  princes,  nobles, 
prelates,  and  women  of  position,  as  well  as  the  dregs  of 
society,  entered  into  the  wild  scramble  to  get  rich  by  buy- 
ing and  selling  shares  in  this  and  other  companies.  Paris 
swarmed  with  nearly  half  a  million  strangers,  so  that  even 
granaries  had  to  be  turned  into  sleeping  apartments.  But 
in  time  the  price  of  shares  went  down  suddenly:  the  "Mis- 
sissippi Bubble"  burst,  and  the  people  awoke  to  their 
senses. 

Although  the  company  was  very  disastrous  to  France, 
yet  it  was  a  help  to  Illinois,  for  many  who  came  to  mine  gold 
remained  to  till  the  soil.  Artisans  were  added  to  the  popu- 
lation. Flourishing  settlements  sprang  up  on  the  lower 
Mississippi,  and  the  agents  of  the  company  opened  a  mar- 
ket for  the  surplus  agricultural  products  of  Illinois  and  for 
the  peltries  gathered  in  trade  with  the  Indians.  The  Com- 
pany of  the  West  exercised  jurisdiction  over  Illinois  from 

Illinois — 3 


34  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1717  to  1732,  and  gave  the  country  the  first  local  govern- 
ment it  ever  had.  The  director-general  of  the  mines  estab- 
lished his  headquarters  in  Illinois.  He  brought  with  him 
250  soldiers  and  miners,  and  a  large  number  of  slaves  from 
Santo  Domingo  to  work  the  mines.  Indians  had  sometimes 
been  enslaved ,  and  this  practice  was  the  beginning  of  slav- 
ery in  Illinois. 

To  protect  the  colonies  and  its  own  interests  as  well,  the 
Company  of  the  West  decided  to  erect  a  fort  in  the  Illinois 
country.  In  1718  a  place  was  chosen  between  Kaskaskia 
and  Cahokia,  about  a  mile  back  from  the  east  bank  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  soldiers  of  France  cut  down  trees,  cleared 
away  the  branches,  hewed  out  timbers,  and  brought  stone 
from  the  quarries  along  the  river.  When  the  fort  was 
completed  it  was  called  Fort  Chartres,  in  honor  of  Due  de 
Chartres,  who  was  the  son  of  the  regent  of  France.  Here 
the  Company  of  the  West  built  its  warehouses,  and  here 
it  was  that  Boisbriant,  the  first  local  governor,  established 
his  headquarters.  The  fort  was  a  boon  to  Illinois,  for, 
offering  protection  as  it  did  to  the  settlements,  it  assured 
their  permanence  and  invited  newcomers.  As  the  center 
of  authority  in  the  West,  it  speedily  came  into  prominence, 
and  it  was  a  saying  that  "all  roads  lead  to  Fort  Chartres." 
Near  by,  the  village  of  New  Chartres  sprang  up.  Life  was 
merry  in  both  the  village  and  the  fort,  and  the  fashions  of  far 
away  Paris  were  copied  here  on  the  lonely  Mississippi. 


VI.    THE  FRENCH  IN  ILLINOIS 

Away  from  the  struggle  for  wealth  and  power,  the  life 
of  the  French  in  Illinois  was  comparatively  quiet  and  un- 
eventful. The  Indians  were  their  friends  and  companions. 
The  fertile  land,  the  prolific  waters,  the  successful  chase 
supplied  all  their  wants.  A  missionary  writing  from  Fort 
Chartres  in  1750,  says:  "Most  of  the  French  till  the  soil; 
they  raise  wheat,  cattle,  pigs,  and  horses,  and  live  like 
princes.  Three  times  as  much  is  produced  as  can  be  con- 
sumed, and  great  quantities  of  grain  and  flour  are  sent  to 
New  Orleans."  The  settlers  also  raised  oats,  rye,  hops,  and 
tobacco.  Indian  corn  they  used  chiefly  for  fattening  their 
swine.  Their  farming  implements  were  of  the  rudest  kind 
— wooden  plows,  hand  flails  to  thrash  the  grain,  and 
wooden  carts  without  a  particle  of  iron.  The  common 
churn  being  unknown,  butter  was  made  by  shaking  the 
cream  in  a  bottle.  No  spinning  wheels  or  looms  were  to 
be  seen.  Most  of  the  men  were  engaged  in  fur  hunting 
and  trading  and  farming.  There  wrere  a  few  carpenters, 
stonemasons,  boatbuildcrs,  and  blacksmiths,  who  went 
from  place  to  place  in  quest  of  work.  Barges  and  flatboats, 
^manned  by  excellent  boatmen,  carried  flour,  bacon,  and 
hides  down  to  New  Orleans,  and  brought  back  sugar,  rice, 
cotton  cloth,  and  other  dress  goods. 

The  men  wore  shirts  and  waistcoats  of  cotton,  and  blue 

35 


36  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

cloth  or  deerskin  trousers;  in  winter  they  wore  a  long 
woolen  coat  with  a  blue  hood  attached,  which,  in  wet  or 
cold  weather,  was  drawn  up  over  the  head.  Among  the 
traders  and  voyageurs  the  head  was  often  covered  with  a 
blue  cotton  handkerchief  folded  in  the  shape  of  a  turban. 
The  dress  of  the  women  was  very  plain,  and  blue  was  their 
favorite  color.  Both  men  and  women  wore  moccasins  of 
Indian  make. 

All  lived  in  towns  and  villages  where  the  houses  were 
built  in  a  row  and  were  very  much  alike.  The  houses  were 
one  story  high  and  were  protected  on  all  sides  by  porches. 
They  were  built  by  setting  the  timbers  of  the  framework 
firmly  in  the  ground,  and  filling  the  spaces  between  the 
timbers  with  walls  made  of  clay  and  straw.  The  walls 
were  whitewashed  \vithin  and  without.  The  rooms  were 
airy  and  neat,  with  but  little  furniture  and  that  homemade. 

To  every  village  was  attached  two  tracts  of  land — the 
common  field  and  the  commons.  The  former  contained 
several  hundred  acres  set  apart  for  agricultural  purposes, 
and  in  it  each  family  had  a  plat  to  cultivate,  fenced  off 
from  the  rest.  The  commons  was  a  still  larger  tract  al- 
lowed the  villagers  for  wood  and  pasturage,  to  which  all 
had  a  general  right. 

In  every  village  rose  the  spire  of  the  little  church  where 
the  sacrament  of  baptism  was  administered,  the  marriage 
ceremony  spoken,  and  the  last  sad  rites  and  masses  for  the 
dead  were  held. 

These  have  been  called  the  halcyon  days  of  Illinois,  when 
a  virtuous  and  honest  people  needed  no  government.  Al- 


THE  FRENCH  IN  ILLINOIS 


37 


though  the  commandant  at  the  fort  was  the  representative 
of  the  king,  yet  the  real  authority  was  the  priest,  who  acted 
as  judge  between  man  and  man,  and  who  was  their  com- 
panion and  teacher  as  well  as  their  spiritual  adviser. 

The  French  of  Illinois  were  a  merry  people,  with  plenty 
of  leisure  and  amuse- 
ments in  which  both 
young  and  old,  and 
even  the  Indian  and 
the  slave,  joined. 
Yet  there  is  a  darker 
side  to  the  picture. 
It  has  been  said  that 
they  were  not  only 
light-hearted,  but 
also  light-headed. 
Some  of  them  cared 
for  nothing  beyond 
a  merry  time.  There 
were  no  schools  ex- 
cept those  taught  by  the  priest,  and  most  of  the  people 
were  ignorant,  illiterate,  and  altogether  unfitted  for  the 
duties  and  privileges  of  citizenship.  They  were  lacking  in 
many  of  the  higher  qualities  of  heart  and  head,  and  in 
many  ways  stooped  to  the  habits  and  morals  of  the  In- 
dians instead  of  bringing  the  Indians  up  to  a  higher  way 
of  living. 

The  French  had  a  genius  for  exploration,  and  yet  failed 
to  utilize  the  results  of  their  explorations.     They  were  not 


A  FRENCH  DANCE 


38  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

a  colonizing  people  as  were  the  English,  but  were  hunters 
and  traders,  and  only  in  a  few  localities  confined  themselves 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  While  the  French  in  North 
America  were  enjoying  the  hunt  with  the  Indians  and  were 
roaming  the  country  over,  the  English  stuck  to  the  soil, 
established  schools  and  printing  presses,  and  zealously  held 
to  their  rights  and  privileges.  For  reasons  such  as  these  the 
English  colonies  grew  stronger  than  the  French,  as  was 
proved  in  the  final  struggle  between  them,  of  which  we  shall 
read  in  the  next  chapter. 


VII.    THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR  (1754-1763) 

England  and  France  had  been  at  war  for  several  years, 
and  the  bitterness  was  carried  to  their  colonies  in  the  New 
World.  No  fixed  boundary  lines  had  been  established  be- 
tween these  colonies,  and  a  struggle  over  the  Ohio  and 


WASHINGTON'S  JOURNEY  TO  THE  OHIO  VALLEY 

Mississippi  valleys  was  inevitable.  Both  nations  were  ag- 
gressive. The  English  were  rapidly  pushing  their  way 
westward,  and  often  their  traders  would  penetrate  hun- 
dreds of  miles  beyond  the  frontiers.  The  French  in  turn 
built  a  line  of  forts  to  stay  these  encroachments,  and  some 

39 


40  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  these  forts  were  within  the  territory  claimed  by  the 
English.  Hearing  of  this,  the  governor  of  Virginia  sent  a 
young  surveyor,  George  Washington,  to  look  into  the  mat- 
ter. He  brought  back  such  a  report  of  the  activity  of  the 
French  that  Virginia  at  once  took  measures  to  build  a  fort 
at  the  junction  of  the  Monongahela  and  Allegheny  rivers. 
But  while  the  colonists  were  building  the  fort,  the  French 
suddenly  appeared  on  the  scene,  drove  them  away,  finished 
the  fort  for  themselves  and  called  it  Fort  Duquesne.  This 
was  in  1754.  Then  the  struggle  was  on  for  the  mastery  of 
the  continent. 

Foreseeing  the  struggle,  the  French  had  rebuilt  Fort 
Chartres  in  the  Illinois  country,  enlarging  and  strengthen- 
ing it  at  the  cost  of  much  labor  and  money.  Where  it  had 
been  wood  they  made  it  stone.  Skilled  workmen  were 
brought  from  France,  as  was  the  iron  that  entered  into  the 
fort.  The  walls  were  eighteen  feet  high,  and  inclosed  forty 
acres.  Within  were  the  great  storehouses,  the  govern- 
ment house,  magazines,  guardhouse,  and  barracks,  all  of 
stone.  The  fort,  under  Chevalier  Macarty,  was  re  enforced 
with  a  sufficient  number  of  companies  to  form  a  regiment 
of  grenadiers.  When  it  was  completed  in  1754  it  was  called 
"the  most  convenient  and  best-built  fort  in  America." 

A  few  years  later  a  fort  on  the  Ohio  River,  about  forty 
miles  from  its  mouth,  was  also  strengthened.  It  had  been 
established  on  a  small  scale  as  a  fort  and  mission  house  by 
the  French  in  1711.  Later  on  almost  all  of  the  garrison  were 
massacred  by  the  Indians,  who  decoyed  the  soldiers  from 
the  fort  by  appearing  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river, 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR  (1754-1763) 


41 


dressed  in  bearskins  and  creeping  about  like  so  many  bears. 
Some  of  the  soldiers  crossed  the  river  to  kill  the  bears  and 
the  others  went  to  the  water's  edge  to  see  the  sport.  A  band 
of  Indians  crept  up  behind  the  latter,  who  were  defenseless 
and  at  their  mercy.  The  fort  was  burned  by  the  savages, 
but  it  was  later  rebuilt  by  the  French  and  christened  Fort 
Massacre.  Now  in  1758  a  force  from  Fort  Duquesne  came 
down  the  river,  again  rebuilt  the  fort,  and  named  it  after 


SITE  OF  FORT  MASSAC 

their  commander,  Massac.  At  the  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  it  was  occupied  for  a  time  by  two  companies 
of  United  States  troops.  The  site  is  owned  by  the  state,  and 
has  been  turned  into  a  public  park. 

The  brave  Ma'carty  led  the  soldiers  of  Fort  Chartres  out 
to  take  part  in  the  war,  and  they  fought  on  many  battle- 
fields. They  helped  to  force  the  surrender  of  George 


42  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Washington  at  Fort  Necessity  in  July,  1754.  They  were 
present  at  Braddock's  defeat  (1755),  and  they  were  among 
the  last  to  leave  Fort  Duquesne  when  it  was  abandoned 
on  Washington's  approach  in  1758.  The  French  villages 
in  Illinois  were  called  upon  to  furnish  provisions  for  the 
war.  A  large  number  of  volunteers  from  Illinois  were  hi 
the  French  ranks,  especially  at  the  fall  of  Fort  Niagara, 
in  1759.  The  bulletin  of  that  siege  said  of  them:  "Of  the 
French  from  Illinois  many  were  killed  and  many  more 
were  taken  prisoners."  Despair  settled  upon  Fort  Char- 
tres.  Macarty  wrote:  "The  defeat  at  Niagara  has  cost 
me  the  flower  of  my  men.  My  garrison  is  weaker  than 
ever." 

When  the  French  were  worsted  and  the  war  was  over,  it 
was  generally  supposed  that  France  would  give  up  Canada, 
but  would  still  retain  Illinois  and  the  rest  of  Louisiana. 
Consequently  many  French  left  Canada  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois, thinking  to  find  here  a  home  under  the  flag  of  France 
and  a  rallying  point  from  which  they  could  retake  Canada. 
Great  was  their  dismay  when  they  learned  that  their  king 
had  deserted  them  and  by  the  treaty  of  1763  ceded  to 
England  all  the  territory  (save  New  Orleans)  east  of  the 
Mississippi.  And  still  later  it  was  learned  that  the  territory 
west  of  the  river  had  been  given  to  Spain. 

It  was  agreed  that  the  French  should  hold  the  forts  in 
the  territory  ceded  to  England,  until  English  officers  came 
to  take  command.  St.  Ange,  who  had  formerly  been  com- 
mandant at  Vincennes,  was  left  to  guard  Fort  Chart  res 
with  a  small  garrison.  One  by  one  all  the  other  forts  were 


THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR  (1754-1763)  43 

turned  over  to  the  English,  but  when  they  came  to  take 
charge  of  Fort  Chartres  the  Indian  chief,  Pontiac,  stood 
in  the  way. 

Pontiac  combined  the  best  and  worst  traits  of  his  race, 
and  his  great  abilities  gained  him  almost  absolute  control 
over  the  Indians  of  the  Northwest.  The  Indians  from  the 
first  were  the  friends  of  the  French.  They  had  sided  with 
them  against  the  English  and  were  not  willing  to  abide  by 
the  treaty  of  peace.  Pontiac  gathered  them  around  him,  and 
disputed  the  possession  of  the  English  for  over  two  years. 
His  league  included  the  Illinois  Indians,  and  Illinois  was  a 
hotbed  of  resistance  against  English  occupation.  At  one 
time  Pontiac  ordered  some  of  the  Illinois  who  were  camp- 
ing near  Fort  Chartres  to  join  him  in  the  war,  but  they 
were  little  disposed  to  do  so.  He  said  to  them:  "Hesi- 
tate not,  or  I  destroy  you  as  fire  does  the  prairie  grass. 
Listen  and  recollect  these  are  the  words  of  Pontiac."  And 
immediately  they  changed  their  minds. 

In  hope  of  persuading  the  French  to  take  up  arms  again 
and  resist  the  common  foe,  he  marched  under  the  high 
stone  archway  of  Chartres  to  where  St.  Ange  was  sitting  in 
the  government  house,  and  saM  to  him:  "Father,  I  have 
long  wished  to  see  you,  to  recall  the  battles  which  we  fought 
together  against  the  misguided  Indians  and  the  English 
dogs.  I  love  the  French,  and  have  come  here  with  my 
warriors  to  avenge  their  wrongs."  But  St.  Ange  told  him 
that  all  was  over,  that  the  French  could  no  longer  aid 
their  red  brothers,  and  that  the  Indians  must  make  peace 
with  the  English. 


44  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Pontiac  finally  ceased  his  struggle,  and  allowed  Captain 
Stirling  with  a  detachment  of  the  42nd  Highlanders,  the 
famous  Black  Watch,  to  come  from  Fort  Pitt  to  the  Illi- 
nois country.  And  in  October,  1765,  St.  Ange  surrendered 
Fort  Chartres  to  him,  and  the  flag  of  Great  Britain  floated 
over  Illinois. 

St.  Ange,  his  garrison,  and  many  other  French,  withdrew 
to  St.  Louis,  where  St.  Ange  became  head  of  the  military 
post.  Soon  after,  it  is  said,  the  English  commander  at  Fort 
Chartres  suddenly  died,  and  as  there  was  no  one  competent 
to  take  his  place,  government  came  to  an  end.  When  St. 
Ange  heard  this  at  St.  Louis,  he  came  back  to  his  old  post, 
assumed  control,  restored  order,  and  held  the  place  until 
another  English  officer  could  arrive.  For  more  than  fifty 
years  he  was  connected  with  the  history  of  this  state, 
as  scout,  officer,  and  commandant.  All  who  knew  him, 
friends  and  foes  alike,  were  impressed  by  the  courage,  up- 
rightness, and  nobility  of  Louis  St.  Ange  de  Belle  Rive, 
the  last  French  commander  of  Illinois. 


VIII.    ILLINOIS  UNDER  THE  BRITISH  (1765-1778) 

The  short  rule  of  the  British  brought  little  change  to 
Illinois.  At  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war  the 
population  could  not  have  exceeded  3,000,  and  when  it 
passed  from  the  control  of  Great  Britain  it  was  still  about 
the  same.  The  few  newcomers  were  mostly  English  traders 
and  land  speculators.  And  although  many  of  the  French 
removed  from  the  territory  yet  the  settlements  remained 
French  in  character.  When  the  English  took  possession 
it  was  proclaimed  to  the  French:  "  That  his  majesty  grants 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Illinois  the  liberty  of  the  Catholic 
religion  as  it  has  been  granted  to  his  subjects  in  Can- 
ada. .  .  .  That  his  majesty  moreover  agrees  that  the 
French  inhabitants  and  others  who  have  been  the  subjects 
of  the  most  Christian  king  [of  France]  may  retire  in  full 
safety  and  freedom  wherever  they  please.  .  .  .  That 
those  who  choose  to  retain  their  lands  and  become  subjects 
of  his  majesty,  shall  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  privileges, 
the  same  security  for  their  persons  and 'effects  and  liberties 
as  the  old  subjects  of  the  king." 

The  government  at  London  desired  to  make  the  terri- 
tory a  hunting  ground  where  only  English  agents  could  buy 
furs  and  trade  with  the  Indians.  To  this  end  colonists 
were  to  be  prohibited  from  settling  in  Illinois.  Such  a 
policy  would  have  kept  it  a  vast  wilderness.  But  the 

45 


46 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


royal  governors  in  America  violated  their  king's  command 
and  granted  large  tracts  to  their  friends  and  permitted 
companies  to  buy  the  land  from  the  Indians.  Happily  the 

i  king  was  not  to  rule  long  over  Illinois 
Among  the  British  commanders  of  Illinois  was  Colonel 
flans,  who  in  1768  attempted  to  establish  a  court  and 
by  jury,  but  the  French  did  not  take  kindly  to  the 
^nghsh   judicial   customs   and   preferred   to   settle   their 
disputes  by  the  aid  of  the  priests. 
In  1772  Fort  Chartres  was  abandoned  by  the  English 


RUJNS  OF  FORT  CHARTRES 

garrison,  for  the  Mississippi,  which  for  several  years  had 
eon  changing  its  course  toward  the  eastern  bank,  washed 


ILLINOIS  UNDER  THE  BRITISH  (1765-1778)  47 

away  a  part  of  the  walls  of  the  fort.  It  was  never  after- 
wards used.  Sonic  of  its  ruins  still  are  to  be  seen,  including 
the  old  stone  powder  magazine.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
some  action  has  not  been  taken  by  the  people  of  the 
state  to  preserve  the  only  monument  of  French  sway  in 
Illinois.  The  English  stores  and  the  garrison  were  removed 
to  a  fort  near  Kaskaskia,  which  was  called  Fort  Gage,  after 
the  commander  of  King  George's  troops  in  America.  Kas- 
kaskia became  the  seat  of  government. 

Although  the  French  in  Illinois  had  been  reared  under  an 
absolute  monarchy,  and  although  they  were  far  distant 
from  the  English  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and 
had  been  prejudiced  against  the  Americans  by  British 
officers  and  agents,  yet  not  a  few  of  them  were  in  full 
sympathy  with  the  thirteen  colonies  in  their  struggle  for 
liberty.  In  1771  these  liberty-loving  French  gathered  at 
Kaskaskia  and  sent  a  request  to  London  for  a  charter 
like  that  of  Connecticut,  which  was  the  most  liberal  of  all. 
The  London  government  treated  the  request  as  absurd, 
and  instead  gave  them  a  government  in  which  all  the  officers 
were  appointed  by  the  crown  instead  of  being  elected  by 
the  people.  The  indignant  settlers  under  Daniel  Blouin 
protested  against  such  government  "as  oppressive  and  ab- 
surd, much  worse  than  that  of  any  French  or  even  Spanish 
colonies,"  and  they  boldly  declared  that  "should  a  govern- 
ment so  evidently  tyrannical  be  established  it  could  be  of 
no  long  duration."  Doubtless  the  British  would  have 
taken  steps  to  subdue  the  unruly  Frenchmen  had  not  the 
demand  for  troops  elsewhere  been  imperative. 


48  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  the  British  garrison 
was  withdrawn  from  Illinois  to  serve  in  the  field  against 
the  Americans,  and  its  place  was  taken  by  local  militia 
under  British   officers.     In   spite  of  this  garrison  some 
mpathizers   with   the   American   cause   began   to   plan 
expeditions  against  English  military  posts  in  the  West 
In  1777  an  Irishman,  Tom  Brady,  gathered  a  band  of  six- 
i  volunteers  and  crossed  the  prairies  to  Fort  St.  Joseph 
in  Michigan,  which  was  considered  an  important  point  but 
was  guarded  by  only  a  small  garrison.     Brady's  party 
came  upon  it  in  the  night,  defeated  and  paroled  the  troops 
captured  a  large  amount  of  merchandise,  set  fire  to  the 
palisades  and  buildings,  and  started  for  home.    But  during 
the  night  they  were  overpowered  near  the  Chicago  River 
by  the  British,  who  had  called  the  Indians  to  their  assist- 
ce.    Fort  St.  Joseph  was  then  rebuilt,    To  avenge  Brady 
a  French  Canadian,  Paulette  Meillet,  the  founder  of  Peoria' 
captured  Fort  St.  Joseph  in  1778,  with  a  force  of  300  French 
and  Indians,  and  sent  the  prisoners  to  Canada. 


IX.    GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 

During  the  Revolutionary  War  the  scattered  settlers 
on  the  American  frontier  suffered  considerably  from 
Indian  raids.  Kentucky  was  then  the  western  county  of 
Virginia,  and  Virginia  laid  claim  also  to  the  whole  country 
north  of  the  Ohio.  George  Rogers  Clark,  a  young  Virginian 
at  the  head  of  the  Ken- 
tucky militia,  found  that 
the  British  agents  in  the 
Northwest,  especially  at 
Detroit,  Vincennes,  and 
Kaskaskia,  were  the 
cause  of  the  trouble, 
inasmuch  as  they  were 
supplying  the  Indians 
with  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion and  inciting  them 
against  the  Americans. 

Clark  saw  that  if  these 
British  posts  could  be 
taken,  the  whole  terri- 
tory would  fall  to  the  Americans  by  right  of  conquest,  the 
Indian  raids  would  be  checked,  and  possibly  the  French, 
who  were  but  lukewarm  in  their  allegiance  to  England  and 
were  most  influential  with  the  savages,  might  be  gained 

Illinois— 4  49 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK 


60  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

over  to  the  American  cause.  From  two  spies  whom  he 
sent  to  Kaskaskia,  Clark  learned  that,  though  it  would  be 
a  laborious  and  hazardous  undertaking,  requiring  the  ut- 
most secrecy,  yet  only  a  comparatively  small  force  would 
be  needed  to  conquer  the  territory;  and  so  he  determined 
to  attempt  it.  He  laid  his  plan  before  Patrick  Henry,  the 
governor  of  Virginia,  who  was  much  pleased  with  the  idea, 
and  who,  after  conferring  with  Thomas  Jefferson  and  other 
prominent  Virginians,  authorized  him  to  raise  troops  and 
march  against  Illinois. 

Clark  was  given  a  sum  of  money  and  orders  for  ammuni- 
tion, while  the  Virginia  legislature  was  to  be  persuaded 
to  grant  300  acres  of  land  to  each  one  who  participated. 
He  was  to  recruit  his  men  from  the  frontiers  so  as  not  to 
weaken  the  resistance  at  home  against  King  George.  The 
whole  burden  was  laid  upon  Clark,  who  with  the  utmost 
difficulty  gathered  from  the  clearings  and  scattered  hunters' 
camps  four  small  companies  that  amounted  to  about  200 
men.  The  destination  and  purpose  of  the  expedition  were 
kept  a  secret  until  they  came  near  Louisville,  Kentucky. 
There  Clark  made  the  men  acquainted  with  the  object  of 
the  enterprise,  and  wrhile  many  of  them  were  eager  for  so 
dangerous  a  task,  yet  some  were  not,  and  deserted  at  the 
first  opportunity. 

Coming  down  the  Ohio  until  near  Fort  Massac,  where 
he  landed,  Clark  began  the  terrible  journey  northwest 
on  foot  through  the  wilderness  to  Kaskaskia.  He  fell  in 
with  a  party  of  hunters,  who  went  along  with  him  as 
guides.  He  had  weeded  out  those  unable  to  stand  fatigue 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK  51 

and  hardship,  and  his  equipment  was  as  light  as  that  of 
an  Indian  war  party.  As  Reynolds  says  in  his  history: 
"Clark's  warriors  had  no  wagons,  pack  horses,  or  other 
means  of  conveyance  of  their  munitions  of  war  or  baggage 
other  than  their  own  robust  and  hardy  selves. "  Scouts 
were  sent  ahead  to  kill  game  for  the  sustenance  of  the 
little  army  and  to  capture  any  straggling  French  or  In- 
dians. 

The  first  fifty  miles  led  through  tangled  and  pathless 
forests.  The  way  was  less  difficult  when  they  got  out  on 
the  prairies,  but  the  danger  of  being  seen  was  increased 
many  fold,  and  their  only  chance  for  success  lay  in  secrecy 
and  noiseless  speed.  Once  the  guide  lost  his  way  and 
Clark  feared  that  he  was  a  traitor,  but  the  trail  was  soon 
found,  and  on  the  evening  of  July  4th,  1778,  they  were 
within  three  miles  of  Kaskaskia.  . 

So  far  their  advance  had  been  unobserved.  Clark  hid 
his  men  until  nightfall.  From'  several  farmers  they  took 
captive  they  learned  that  the  garrison  was  not  looking  for 
an  attack,  and  that  but  few  Indians  were  then  in  Kaskaskia, 
which  was  fortunate.  Clark  then  divided  his  men  into  two 
parties,  one  of  which  was  to  surround  the  town  to  prevent 
any  one  from  escaping,  while  he  led  the  other  band  to  take 
the  fort. 

It  is  said  that  a  ball  was  in  progress  at  the  fort,  to  wrhich 
the  young  people  of  the  village  had  been  invited.  As  an 
attack  was  not  expected  no  sentinels  were  on  duty.  As  the 
little  band  of  Americans  approached  the  fort,  lights  were 
streaming  from  the  windows  and  the  sound  of  music  and 


52 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


merriment  floated  on  the  breeze.  They  were  led  into  the 
fort  either  by  some  captive  or  by  some  one  friendly  to  their 
cause.  The  commander,  a  Frenchman,  was  captured  in 
bed.  Clark,  it  is  said,  going  to  the  hall  where  the  revel  was 

on,  leaned  silently 
with  folded  arms 
against  the  door- 
post, looking  at  the 
dancers.  After  a 
while,  an  Indian  saw 
him  and  sprang  to 
his  feet  with  a  terri- 
ble war  whoop.  The 
dance  ended,  the 
women  screamed, 
and  the  soldiers  ran 
to  their  quarters. 
But  Clark,  standing 
unmoved,  shouted 
to  them  to  go  on 
with  their  fun;  and 
told  them  that  they 
were  now  dancing 
under  the  flag  of  Virginia  instead  of  Great  Britain.  At 
the  same  time  his  men  rushed  in  and  captured  all  the 
officers  and  men. 

j^  The  other  band,  hearing  the  shout  of  victory,  hurried 
into  the  town,  secured  every  street,  and  drove  the  terrified 
people  into  their  homes.  Runners  were  sent  through  the 


CLARK  AT  KASKASKIA 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK  55 

town  ordering  all  to  keep  close  within  doors  on  pain  of 
death.  For  should  any  escape,  Clark  feared  that  they  would 
spread  alarm  throughout  the  country  and  bring  down  on 
him  a  large  force  of  French  and  Indians.  All  through  the 
night  the  backwoodsmen  patrolled  the  streets  in  little 
squads  and  kept  up  their  whooping  in  the  most  approved 
Indian  fashion.  The  panic-stricken  people  cowered  in 
their  low-roofed  houses.  By  daylight  they  were  all  dis- 
armed and  the  place  was  won  without  spilling  a  drop  of 
blood. 

To  strengthen  their  hold  on  the  French  settlers  the 
British  agents  and  officers  had  told  them  horrible  tales 
of  the  brutality  and  ferocity  of  the  Americans,  especially 
the  Long  Knives,  as  the  Kentuckians  were  called  from 
the  long  knives  they  carried.  The  Long  Knives  were  repre- 
sented as  the  most  inhuman  wretches  that  ever  lived.  So 
nothing  could  have  filled  the  French  with  greater  dismay 
than  to  hear  their  neighbors  crying  that  the  Long  Knives 
were  upon  them.  The  unlooked  for  and  sudden  onset  of 
these  wild  and  uncouth  backwoodsmen,  and  the  ominous 
silence  of  their  commander  filled  them  with  fearful  fore- 
bodings. They  passed  a  dreadful  night.  Even  should  their 
lives  be  spared  they  expected  nothing  less  than  separation 
and  exile  from  their  families.  And  Clark,  understanding 
the  nature  of  the  French,  was  well  pleased  to  see  the  horror 
with  which  they  regarded  his  men,  for  in  this  frame  of 
mind  they  would  not  offer  resistance  and  would  be  all  the 
more  grateful  when  they  found  the  Americans  meant  them 
well  and  not  ill. 


54  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  next  day  the  people  were  allowed  to  walk  the  streets, 
but  as  soon  as  they  were  seen  congregating  some  of  them 
were  arrested  and  put  in  chains.  The  village  priest,  Father 
Gibault,  and  five  or  six  elderly  men  obtained  leave  to  speak 
to  Clark,  but  when  they  came  into  his  presence  they  did 
not  know  whom  to  address  as  commander  until  he  was 
pointed  out,  because  of  the  ragged  and  unkempt  appear- 
ance of  all  the  men.  Saying  that  they  expected  to  be 
separated  never  to  meet  again,  they  begged  his  permission 
to  assemble  in  the  church  to  take  final  leave  of  one  another. 
Clark  told  them  that  they  might  hold  such  a  meeting  if 
they  wished,  but  that  on  no  account  must  any  person 
leave  the  town. 

After  the  service  a  second  deputation  waited  on  Clark 
to  express  their  thanks.  They  assured  him  that  they  did 
not  understand  the  nature  of  the  conflict  between  England 
and  America,  that  some  of  their  number  had  expressed 
themselves  in  favor  of  the  Americans,  and  others  would  have 
done  so  had  they  dared,  but  that  their  conduct  had  been 
influenced  by  the  British  at  the  fort.  "We  are  sensible," 
said  the  priest,  "that  our  present  situation  is  the  fate  of 
war.  We  can  submit  to  the  loss  of  property,  but  we  beg 
that  the  men  may  not  be  separated  from  their  wives  and 
children,  and  that  they  be  permitted  to  obtain  some  clothes 
and  provisions  for  their  future  support." 

Clark  judged  that  it  was  now  time  to  reveal  his  intentions 
to  them.  He  therefore  addressed  them:  "  What  do  you  take 
us  to  be?  Do  you  think  we  are  savages — that  we  intend 
to  massacre  you  all?  Do  you  think  Americans  will  strip 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK  55 

women  and  children  and  take  bread  out  of  their  mouths? 
My  countrymen  disdain  to  make  war  on  the  helpless  and 
innocent.  It  was  to  protect  our  wives  and  children  from 
Indian  barbarity  and  cruelty  that  we  have  penetrated 
the  wilderness.  We  do  not  make  war  against  Frenchmen. 
The  king  of  France,  your  former  master,  is  our  ally.  His 
ships  and  soldiers  are  fighting  for  the  Americans.  Go  and 
enjoy  your  religion  and  worship  where  you  please.  Any 
insult  to  it  will  be  immediately  punished.  Your  friends 
in  confinement  will  be  released.  Your  fellow-citizens  may 
dismiss  all  apprehensions  and  are  at  liberty  to  conduct 
themselves  as  usual.  No  man's  property  shall  be  molested. 
We  are  convinced  that  you  have  been  misinformed  and 
have  been  prejudiced  against  America  by  British  agents. 
We  are  your  friends  and  have  come  to  deliver  you  from 
British  authority  and  usurpation."  '  The  French  went  wild 
with  joy.  The  Te  Deum  was  sung,  cannon  roared,  and 
the  air  resounded  with  huzzas  for  freedom  and  America. 

A  small  detachment  of  Americans  was  sent  to  Cahokia, 
accompanied  by  a  volunteer  company  of  French,  who  eas- 
ily persuaded  their  countrymen  at  that  place  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  America  as  the  Kaskaskians  had  done. 
Clark  determined  to  march  next  against  Vincennes,  but 
the  French  begged  him  not  to  do  so,  as  many  of  their 
friends  and  relatives  lived  there;  and  the  priest,  Father 
Gibault,  volunteered  to  go  to  Vincennes  and  persuade  them 
to  transfer  their  allegiance.  With  but  two  companions  he 
set  out  on  his  mission,  and  at  his  suggestion  the  people  of 
Vincennes  marched  to  the  fort,  where  there  were  but  a  few 


56  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

soldiers,  hauled  down  the  English  flag,  and  hoisted  the 
American  instead.  Later  on  the  British  from  Detroit  re- 
took the  fort,  but  when  Clark  heard  of  it,  he  marched 
across  Illinois  through  swamp  and  swollen  stream  and  com- 
pelled the  British  to  surrender  it  again. 

The  British  garrisons  had  been  captured  and  the  French 
won  over,  yet  there  remained  the  difficult  task  of  either 
subduing  or  gaining  the  good  will  of  the  Indians  who 
were  allies  of  the  British.  A  meeting  of  the  savages  was 
called  at  Cahokia  and  the  streets  of  the  little  town  swarmed 
with  warriors  from  almost  every  tribe  of  the  West,  anxious 
to  learn  what  had  happened.  Happily  Clark  knew  how  to 
deal  with  them.  Instead  of  appearing  eager  to  gain  their 
friendship,  he  acted  very  independently  and  compelled 
them  to  make  the  first  advances.  The  French  did  much 
to  bring  the  Indians  over  to  the  Americans  by  telling  them 
that  their  old  master,  the  king  of  France,  was  angry  with 
them  for  siding  with  the  English. 

"Shortly  after  Clark's  occupation  of  Illinois,  there  ap- 
peared in  Illinois  a  French  officer  of  education  and  refine- 
ment, LaBalme,  who  began  to  recruit  a  force  to  take 
Detroit,  one  of  the  most  important  British  forts  in  the  West. 
His  appearance  in  the  Illinois  villages  created  a  deep  im- 
pression. One  who  saw  him  said:  "The  people  run  after 
him  as  if  he  were  the  very  Messiah  himself."  With  a  com- 
pany of  young  men  from  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  and  Vin- 
cennes,  he  attacked  an  English  trading  post  near  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana,  and  captured  it.  Flushed  with  success 
and  laden  with  booty,  his  party  kept  no  watch  at  night, 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK  57 

and  like  Brady's  men,  they  were  surprised  and  overpow- 
ered by  the  traders  and  Indians.  LaBalme  was  slain  and 
many  of  his  men  were  killed. 

In  1779  Spain  declared  war  against  Great  Britain.  At 
this  time  the  Spaniards  held  all  the  territory  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  They  claimed  the  region  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi as  far  north  as  the  Ohio,  and  they  desired  to  add  to 
their  dominion  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio  as  well. 
This  they  could  do  only  by  conquering  it,  and  to  this  end, 
in  January,  1781,  about  150  armed  men  left  St.  Louis,  the 
Spanish  headquarters,  crossed  the  Mississippi  on  the  ice, 
marched  across  the  prairies  of  Illinois  to  Fort  St.  Joseph, 
Michigan,  captured  the  fort,  and  hoisted  the  Spanish  stand- 
ard to  the  flagstaff.  A  trace  of  this  expedition,  consisting 
of  a  small  piece  of  artillery  and  three  cannon  balls  of  Eu- 
ropean make,  was  found  some  years  ago  near  Danville. 
"They  suffered,"  says  a  contemporary  account,  "in  so  ex- 
tensive a  march,  and  so  rigorous  a  season,  the  greatest  incon- 
venience from  cold  and  hunger."  But  nothing  ever  came 
of  this  pretended  Spanish  conquest  of  the  Illinois  country. 

The  annals  of  the  Revolution  contain  no  more  daring, 
brilliant,  or  important  achievement  than  George  Rogers 
Clark's  winning  of  Illinois.  When  the  treaty  of  peace  was 
made,  the  fact  that  the  Northwest  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Americans  decided  its  fate  and  added  to  our  nation  the 
territory  now  comprising  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Michigan, 
Wisconsin,  and  part  of  Minnesota.  Clark  remained  in  con- 
trol of  the  militia  of  the  territory  until  1783.  He  finally  died 
in  poverty  and  bitterness. 


X.    ILLINOIS  A  COUNTY  OF  VIRGINIA  (1778-1784) 

Claiming  Illinois  by  virtue  of  ancient  charters  and 
Clark's  conquest,  the  Virginia  Assembly  in  October,  1778, 
erected  the  Illinois  country  into  a  county  of  Virginia, 
granting  to  its  inhabitants  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
enjoyed  by  the  people  of  the  state.  Patrick  Henry,  gov- 
ernor of  Virginia,  and  thus  the  first  American  governor 
of  Illinois,  appointed  Col.  John  Todd  lieutenant  governor 
of  Illinois,  and  George  Rogers  Clark  head  of  the  militia. 

Todd  was  instructed  by  Patrick  Henry  to  gain  the  con- 
fidence of  the  French  and  Indians,  and  on  all  occasions  to 
impress  upon  the  people  the  value  and  duties  of  citizenship. 
There  was  certainly  need  of  the  latter  injunction.  Todd 
upon  his  arrival  ordered  an  election  of  civil  officers,  includ- 
ing members  of  the  courts  at  Kaskaskia  and  Cahokia. 
This  was  perhaps  the  first  exercise  of  the  elective  franchise 
in  Illinois.  Those  elected  were  all  Frenchmen  with  one  ex- 
ception, and  so  little  did  they  appreciate  their  position  that 
Todd  had  to  remonstrate  with  them  for  adjourning  their 
courts  from  time  to  time  without  trying  any  cases.  Todd 
had  land  speculators  also  to  deal  with.  And  his  old 
record  book,  now  in  the  Library  of  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society,  mentions  the  condemnation  of  a  negro  slave,  who, 
for  witchcraft,  was  to  be  chained  to  a  post  at  the  waterside, 
burned  alive,  and(his  ashes  scattered. 

58 


ILLINOIS  A  COUNTY  OF  VIRGINIA  (1778-1784)          59 

At  this  time  the  French  along  the  Mississippi  and  a  few 
scattered  settlers  on  the  Illinois  and  Wabash  rivers  were 
about  all  the  white  people  in  Illinois.  But  in  1779-80 
westward  migration  from  the  Atlantic  states  began.  Ow- 
ing to  Clark's  conquest,  many  families  from  Virginia  and 
Maryland  and  a  number  of  Clark's  men  descended  the  Ohio 
and  went  up  the  Mississippi  to  Kaskaskia.  Among  them 
was  John  Doyle,  the  first  schoolmaster  to  settle  in  the  state. 

When  the  thirteen  colonies  came  to  form  a  united  gov- 
ernment, among  the  obstacles  to  the  ratification  of  the 
Articles  of  Confederation  were  the  claims  that  several  of 
the  states  made  to  the  same  Western  lands.  Moreover, 
the  smaller  states  protested  against  any  one  state  holding 
as  much  territory,  and  consequently  as  much  power,  as 
some  of  the  larger  states  held.  Both  Virginia  and  New 
York  claimed  the  Northwest — Virginia  by  right  of  ancient 
charters  and  Clark's  conquest,  and  New  York  through  her 
treaties  with  the  Iroquois,  who  contended  that  it  was  theirs 
by  right  of  conquest.  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut 
also,  by  virtue  of  charters,  claimed  each  a  strip  across  the 
territory,  including  what  is  now  northern  Illinois. 

But  in  1780,  to  hasten  the  confederation,  New  York 
ceded  its  claims  to  the  Federal  government.  Then  Congress 
earnestly  recommended  those  states  that  had  claims  to  the 
Western  country  to  surrender  them  and  thus  remove  the 
only  obstacle  to  confederation,  proposing  that  these  West- 
ern lands  be  formed  into  distinct  states  which  should  be- 
come members  of  the  Federal  Union,  with  the  same  rights 
as  the  other  states.  Accordingly,  on  December  20,  1783, 


60  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Virginia  passed  an  act  ceding  to  Congress  her  lands  north- 
west of  the  Ohio  River  on  condition  that  the  United  States 
meet  the  expenses  incurred  in  Clark's  expedition,  that  the 
land  titles  of  the  settlers  be  confirmed  to  them,  and  that 
150,000  acres  of  land  be  given  to  Colonel  Clark  and  his 
men.  On  March  1,  1784,  the  deed  of  cession,  signed  by 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Samuel  Hardy,  Arthur  Lee,  and  James 
Monroe,  was  formally  executed  and  accepted.  Massachu- 
setts ceded  her  claim  in  1785,  and  Connecticut  most  of 
hers  in  1786.  Thus  Illinois  passed  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Federal  government. 


XL    THE  ORDINANCE  OF   1787 

It  appears  that  for  several  years  prior  to  1786  there  had 
been  little  or  no  government  in  Illinois.  In  August  of  that 
year  the  inhabitants  of  .Illinois  petitioned  Congress  to  pro- 
vide means  by  which  they  could  form  a  good  government. 
In  the  spring  of  the  next  year  a  number  of  New  England- 
ers,  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler  among  them,  formed  the  Ohio 
Company,  whose  object  was  to  purchase  a  large  tract  of 
land  on  the  Ohio  River  and  establish  a  settlement.  Many 
of  the  members  of  the  company  had  been  in  the  Revolu- 
tion and  all  of  them  desired  that  a  suitable  government 
should  be  erected  in  the  territory  where  they  were  to  settle. 
They  laid  the  matter  before  the  Continental  Congress.  Ac- 
cording to  their  wish,  Congress,  on  July  13,  1787,  passed 
the  famous  Northwest  Ordinance,  which  with  slight  changes 
has  proved  adequate  to  the  needs  of  territorial  government 
in  our  country  up  to  the  present  time,  and  of  which  Daniel 
Webster  said:  "I  doubt  whether  one  single  law,  ancient  or 
modern,  has  produced  effects  of  more  distinct  and  lasting 
character  than  the  Ordinance  of  1787." 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  molded  the  destiny  of  our  com- 
monwealth; in  large  measure,  it  determined  the  nature  of 
our  social,  political,  and  educational  institutions. 

It  provided  that  all  civil  government  in  the  Northwest 
Territory  should  be  vested  in  a  governor,  appointed  by  the 

61 


62  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

President,  and  three  judges,  until  such  a  time  as  there  were 
5,000  free  male  inhabitants  of  legal  age  in  the  territory, 
when  a  general  assembly  was  to  be  elected  with  a  repre- 
sentative for  every  500  voters.  The  upper  house,  or  coun- 
cil, was  to  be  composed  of  five  men  chosen  by  the  lower 
house  and  approved  by  Congress.  Among  other  things, 
the  ordinance  ordained  and  declared  that 

"No  person  demeaning  himself  in  a  peaceable  and  orderly 
manner,  shall  ever  be  molested  on  account  of  his  mode  of 
worship  or  religious  sentiments  in  the  said  Territory. 

"  The  inhabitants  of  the  said  Territory  shall  always  be 
entitled  to  the  benefit  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus,  and  of 
trial  by  jury;  of  a  proportionate  representation  of  the 
people  in  the  legislature,  and  of  judicial  proceedings  accord- 
ing to  the  course  of  the  common  law.  All  persons  shall  be 
bailable  unless  for  capital  offenses,  where  the  proof  shall  be 
evident  or  the  presumption  great.  All  fines  shall  be  mod- 
erate, and  no  cruel  or  unusual  punishments  shall  be  inflicted. 
No  man  shall  be  deprived  of  his  liberty  or  property  but  by 
the  judgment  of  his  peers,  or  the  law  of  the  land;  and 
should  the  public  exigencies  make  it  necessary  for  the 
common  preservation  to  take  any  person's  property,  or  to 
demand  his  particular  services,  full  compensation  shall  be 
made  for  the  same.  .  .  . 

"  Religion,  morality,  and  knowledge  being  necessary 
to  good  government  and  the  happiness  of  mankind, 
schools  and  the  means  of  education  shall  forever  be 
encouraged.  .  .  . 

"The  said  Territory,   and   the  States   which   may  be 


THE  ORDINANCE  OF  1787  63 

formed  therein,  shall  forever  remain  a  part  of  this  confed- 
eracy of  the  United  States  of  America,  subject  to  the 
Articles  of  Confederation,  and  to  such  alteration  therein, 
as  shall  be  constitutionally  made ;  and  to  all  the  acts  and 
ordinances  of  the  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled, 
conformable  thereto.  .  .  . 

"  There  shall  be  formed  in  the  said  Territory  not  less 
than  three,  nor  more  than  five  States;  .  .  . 

"  There  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servi- 
tude in  the  said  Territory,  otherwise  than  in  the  punish- 
ment of  crimes  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly 
convicted." 


XII.    NORTHWEST  TERRITORY,  AND  INDIANA 
TERRITORY 

President  Washington  appointed  as  first  governor  of  the 
Northwest  Territory,  General  Arthur  St.  Clair,  who  had 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  had  given  much 
of  his  private  means  to  the  cause.  It  was  part  of  his  duty 
as  governor  to  provide  wholesome  laws  for  the  white  set- 
tlers, to  treat  with  the  Indians,  who  far  outnumbered  the 
whites,  and  to  settle  land  disputes  that  had  arisen  from 
conflicting  grants.  He  was  arbitrary  and  quarrelsome, 
and  his  administration  was  not  wholly  successful. 

It  was  in  1790  that  St.  Clair  first  visited  Illinois.  The 
Illinois  settlements  were  organized  into  a  county  with 
Cahokia  as  county  seat,  and  named,  in  his  honor,  St.  Clair 
County.  This  county  extended  from  the  Ohio  to  the 
Illinois  River  and  from  the  Mississippi  to  a  line  drawn  from 
near  Fort  Massac  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mackinaw  River  on 
the  Illinois.  A  court  of  common  pleas  was  established 
and  three  judges  were  appointed  to  hold  court  at  Kaskaskia, 
Cahokia,  and  Prairie  du  Rocher.  The  governor  had  diffi- 
culty in  finding  officers  for  the  court,  as  not  one  man  in 
fifty  was  able  to  read  or  write.  The  same  year  the  first 
lawyer,  John  Rice  Jones,  came  to  Illinois.  St.  Clair  found 
the  French  settlers  very  poor.  They  had  given  beyond  their 
means  to  the  support  of  Clark's  men  and  had  never  been 

64 


NORTHWEST  TERRITORY 


6-5 


repaid,  and  their  crops  either  had  been  poor  or  had  been 
destroyed  by  the  high  waters  of  the  Mississippi. 

During  St.  Glair's  administration  the  Indians  were  very 
troublesome.  After  the  Revolutionary  War  the  pioneers 
began  to  pour  over  the  Appalachian  Mountains  into  the 
Northwest  Territory.  Naturally  the  Indian  determined 
that  he  would  not  be 
crowded  out  of  his 
best  hunting  ground, 
and  to  secure  his  'rJJ«^-3 

.  «/     '• cw-^SSSrl<2^» 

rights     resolved     to     •  <-'^^^4-. 

''-•&se&&gm 


wage  a  war  of  ex- 
termination against 
the  whites.  In  this 
movement  the  In- 
dians of  Illinois  were 
foremost,  and  the  sit- 
uation of  the  settlers 
became  extremely 
perilous.  Many  were 
killed  and  all  were 
in  constant  alarm.  They  were  obliged  to  carry  their  guns 
with  them  while  at  work  in  the  fields,  and  to  guard  their 
houses  by  night.  Finally,  it  became  necessary  for  them  to 
retire  into  blockhouses. 

These  blockhouses  were  built  of  heavy  logs  and  were 
generally  two  stories  high.  The  lower  story  was  provided 
with  portholes  through  which  to  shoot;  the  second  story 
projected  three  or  four  feet  over  the  first,  and  the  floor 

Illinois — 5 


I," 

BLOCKHOUSE 


66  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  this  projection  was  perforated  with  similar  holes.  Several 
families  could  take  shelter  in  one  blockhouse. 

Sometimes  four  such  houses  would  be  built  on  the  corners 
of  a  square  piece  of  ground,  which  was  fenced  in  by  pali- 
sades. These  palisades  were  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and 
were  made  by  setting  heavy  timbers  lengthwise  in  the 
ground  close  together.  Within  the  inclosure  were  cabins 
for  the  families.  A  well  was  dug,  the  trees  around  the 
inclosure  were  cut  down  to  guard  against  ambush,  and 
when  danger  was  imminent  the  stock  was  driven  within  the 
palisades. 

Actual  warfare  was  waged  against  the  savages  in  Ohio 
and  Indiana.  General  St.  Clair  took  the  field  against  them, 
but  was  defeated.  Then  "  Mad  Anthony  "  Wayne  marched 
against  them,  routed  them,  and  brought  the  war  to  a  close 
by  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  August  3,  1795. 

Peace  was  hailed  with  great  joy  throughout  the  West. 
The  danger  from  Indians  past,  immigration  revived  and 
large  numbers  came  to  Illinois.  In  1795,  St.  Clair  County 
was  divided  and  Randolph  County  was  established.1  When 
it  was  ascertained  that  the  Northwest  Territory  contained 
5,000  voters,  it  was  advanced  to  a  territory  of  the  second 
grade,  and  in  1799  its  first  general  assembly  met  at  Cincin- 
nati. Shadrach  Bond,  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  John  Edgar, 
from  Randolph  County,  were  elected  representatives  from 
Illinois. 

1  The  boundaries  of  these  counties  were  enlarged  and  altered  from 
time  to  time,  till  in  1809  Randolph  included  the  southeastern  fifth  of 
the  present  state,  and  St.  Clair  all  the  rest. 


INDIANA  TERRITORY  67 

The  large  extent  of  the  Northwest  Territory  rendered  the 
operations  of  government,  especially  the  administration  of 
justice,  very  uncertain  and  burdensome.  To  mend  this 
difficulty,  on  May  7,  1800,  Congress  passed  an  act  dividing 
the  territory  into  two  separate  territories.  The  western 
part  was  called  Indiana  and  included  the  present  states  of 
Illinois,  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  part  of  Minnesota,  and  part 
(later  all)  of  Michigan.  The  capital  was  at  Vincennes,  and 
General  William  Henry  Harrison  was  appointed  governor. 
In  July,  1805,  the  first  general  assembly  of  Indiana  Terri- 
tory was  held.  In  the  same  year  Michigan  was  erected 
into  a  separate  territory. 

Through  the  efforts  of  Harrison,  most  of  the  land  in  Illi- 
nois and  southern  Indiana  was  ceded  to  the  United  States 
by  the  resident  Indians.  His  name  appears  on  a  dozen  or 
more  treaties  with  them,  and  he  became  known  as  the 
Great  Treaty  Maker.  But  when  the  Shawnees  under  Te- 
cumseh  and  the  Prophet  saw  the  land  being  signed  away 
to  the  whites  by  the  Indians  of  Illinois  and  Indiana  they 
became  very  angry.  The  Pottawatomies  and  the  Kicka- 
poos,  always  ready  to  fight  the  Americans,  joined  them,  as 
did  other  tribes,  until  a  strong  combination  was  formed. 
Harrison,  however,  routed  these  Indians  at  the  battle  of 
Tippecanoe,  November  11,  1811.  This  famous  battle  ter- 
minated the  trouble  and  brought  Harrison  into  great 
and  lasting  popularity.  When  he  was  nominated  for  Presi- 
dent, nearly  thirty  years  later,  he  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority. 


XIII.    THE  TERRITORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  name  Illinois  was  revived  by  the  act  of  Congress, 
February  3,  1809,  which  cut  off  the  western  part  of  Indiana 
territory  to  form  a  separate  government.  The  new  terri- 
tory of  Illinois  included  the  present  state  and  all  the 
land  north  of  it  to  Canada.  Kaskaskia  was  made  the 
capital.  Ninian  Edwards,  chief  justice  of  Kentucky,  was 
appointed  governor  by  President  Madison;  he  remained 
governor  as  long  as  Illinois  was  a  territory. 

At  first  the  governor  and  three  appointed  judges  formed 
themselves  into  a  legislative  body  and  enacted  laws — 
mostly  copies  of  old  ones— for  the  new  territory.  But  in 
1812  Illinois  became  a  territory  of  the  second  grade.  The 
first  election  was  held  in  October,  1812.  Shadrach  Bond 
was  elected  as  the  first  delegate  to  Congress  from  the  ter- 
ritory of  Illinois.  The  first  general  assembly  of  the  ter- 
ritory met  in  November,  1812. 

The  defeat  at  Tippecanoe  only  intensified  the  hatred  of 
the  Indians  against  the  whites,  and  Tecumseh  again  went 
on  the  warpath.  Urged  on  by  British  agents,  the  Indians 
in  1811  became  very  bold  and  committed  many  depreda- 
tions. This  was  a  foretaste  of  the  War  of  1812  with  Eng- 
land. Reynolds  says:  "It  is  strange  that  the  pioneers 
on  the  frontiers  could  discover  sooner  the  movements  of 

68 


THE  TERRITORY  OF  ILLINOIS  69 

the   British    government  through  the   Indians  than   our 
government  could  by  its  ministers  in  Europe." 

Anticipating  the  struggle  with  England,  Governor  Ed- 
wards without  delay  began  to  make  such  preparations  for 
the  defense  of  the  territory  as  his  own  means  permitted,  ad- 
vancing large  sums  of  money  to  buy  arms  and  build  stock- 
ades. The  militia  was  called  out,  companies  of  rangers 
organized,  and  mounted  men  chosen  to  guard  the  frontier. 
In  1812  Fort  Russell  was  built  near  the  town  of  Edwards- 
ville.  It  was  the  strongest  fort  in  the  territory  and  was  the 
headquarters  of  the  militia.  In  September,  1812,  a  force  of 
350  men  marched  from  Fort  Russell  against  the  Indians  at 
Peoria  Lake,  and  at  Peoria  built  a  fort  which  they  called 
Fort  Clark,  in  honor  of  George  Rogers  Clark.  Zachary  Tay- 
lor, afterwards  President,  engaged  the  Indians  near  Rock 
Island,  but  finding  his  force  insufficient  to  cope  with  the 
enemy,  withdrew  and  left  the  Indians  and  British  in  con- 
trol of  all  the  country  north  of  the  Illinois  River.  Mean- 
while, on  August  15,  1812,  occurred  the  massacre  of  the 
garrison  of  Fort  Dearborn — the  bloodiest  collision  that  had 
occurred  between  the  whites  and  Indians  in  Illinois. 


XIV.    THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE 

As  early  as  1675  the  name  Chicago  was  applied  by  ex- 
plorers to  lakes,  ports,  and  routes.  A  French  trading  post 
and  mission  existed  under  that  name  prior  to  1700,  but  its 
exact  location  cannot  be  ascertained.  It  is  certain,  how- 
ever, that  the  present  site  of  Chicago  was  from  early  times 
a  favorite  resort  and  trading  point  with  trapper  and  In- 
dian. The  name  Chicago  was  the  title  of  a  long  line  of 
Indian  chiefs  who  resided  in  the  community.  The  first 
official  mention  of  the  name  occurs  in  the  treaty  of  Green- 
ville, 1795,  by  which  treaty  the  Pottawatomies  ceded  to 
the  government  six  square  miles  of  territory  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  River. 

This  place  became  so  important  and  so  much  frequented 
by  traders  that  in  1803  General  Dearborn,  the  Secretary  of 
War  under  President  Jefferson,  ordered  a  company  of  sol- 
diers to  proceed  from  the  post  at  Detroit  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Chicago  River,  and  there  to  construct  a  fort  for  the 
protection  of  the  traders  and,  no  doubt,  the  interests  of 
the  Federal  government.  The  fort  consisted  of  two  block- 
houses, a  parade  ground,  and  sally  port,  and  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  stockade.  It  was  named  Fort  Dearborn.  A 
few  French  and  Canadians  had  settled  in  the  vicinity. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  War  of  1812  the  Americans  at- 
tempted to  invade  Canada,  but  failed.  To  retaliate,  the 

70 


THE  FORT  DEARBORN  MASSACRE  71 

British  laid  siege  to  Detroit  and  captured  it.  By  this  they 
came  into  control  of  all  the  American  posts  in  Michigan, 
and  with  the  loss  of  Michigan  the  Americans  lost  control 
of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Northwest,  who  scattered  them- 
selves on  the  frontiers  and  began  their  horrible  atrocities. 
With  the  British  army  before  Detroit  and  the  animosity  of 
the  Indians  growing  fiercer  day  by  day,  it  was  judged  fool- 
hardy to  attempt  to  hold  Fort  Dearborn.  Captain  Nathan 
Heald  was  therefore  ordered  to  evacuate  it  and  march  his 
garrison  to  Fort  Wayne,  if  he  thought  such  a  course  wise. 

The  order  was  brought  to  him  by  a  friendly  Pottawato- 
mie  chief,  who,  knowing  the  intentions  of  the  Indians  and 
knowing  that  the  fort  was  in  good  condition  to  withstand 
a  siege,  urged  the  captain  to  disregard  the  order;  or  if  he 
should  evacuate  the  fort,  to  do  it  at  once,  before  the  In- 
dians could  gather  for  an  attack.  But  blindly  ignoring 
the  red  man's  suggestion,  as  well  as  the  wishes  of  his  sub- 
ordinates, Captain  Heald  notified  the  surrounding  tribes  of 
his  intention  to  abandon  the  fort  and  to  distribute  the  pro- 
visions among  them  as  a  peace  offering.  Immediately 
they  became  surly  and  insulting. 

On  August  14  supplies  of  broadcloth,  calico,  and  paint 
were  distributed  among  the  Indians,  but  no  liquor  or  am- 
munition, which  they  wanted  most  of  all.  And  when  they 
discovered  broken  muskets  here  and  there  and  found  broken 
casks  from  which  the  liquor  had  been  emptied  upon  the 
ground,  they  became  very  angry  and  claimed  that  the 
Americans  had  broken  faith  with  them.  So  threatening 
were  they  that  the  garrison  decided  to  leave  on  the  morrow. 


72  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

On  the  fatal  morning  of  the  15th,  the  troops  left  the  fort 
with  martial  music  and  with  flags  flying.  Captain  Wells, 
who  understood  Indian  warfare  very  well,  and  who  had 
come  to  escort  them  to  Fort  Wayne,  with  his  face  painted 
like  a  savage's,  led  the  advance  guard  at  the  head  of  some 
friendly  Miamis.  The  garrison  followed  with  loaded  arms, 
then  the  baggage  wagons  with  the  sick  and  the  women  and 
children.  About  500  Pottawatomies,  pledged  to  escort 
them  in  safety,  brought  up  the  rear. 

The  caravan  took  the  road  along  the  lake  shore  and  had 
gone  but  a  mile  or  so  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  Potta- 
watomies had  surrounded  the  whites.  Then  began  a  most 
savage  massacre.  In  fifteen  minutes  the  Indians  had  pos- 
session of  the  baggage  wagons  and  were  slaying  women  and 
children.  When  it  was  all  over  the  captain  was  wounded 
and  half  his  men  were  killed.  He  had  marched  from  the 
fort  with  a  party  of  93  white  persons;  of  these,  38  soldiers, 
two  women,  and  twelve  children  were  killed.  This  most 
dreadful  crime  was  avenged  when  these  Pottawatomies 
later  on  met  General  Harrison  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  at  the 
battle  of  the  Thames,  where  many  of  them  met  their  death. 


XV.    ILLINOIS  AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE 
NINETEENTH  CENTURY 


So  full  of  privation  and  danger  was  the  life  of  the  back- 
woodsman that  it  appealed  only  to  the  most  hardy.  Re- 
moved from  the  influence  of  civilized  communities,  much 
in  the  company  of  friendly  Indians,  and  frequently  in  peril 
from  hostile  ones,  it  happened  that 
the  backwoodsman  came  to  resemble 
the  red  man  in  disposition  and  man- 
ner of  life.  A  fur  cap,  a  loose  hunt- 
ing shirt,  buckskin  pantaloons,  and 
leggings  of  deerskin,  ornamented  in 
Indian  fashion,  constituted  his  dress, 
with  moccasins  on  his  feet,  knife  and 
tomahawk  in  his  belt,  and  his  rifle 
on  his  shoulder,  His  home  was  a 
log  cabin  in  which  the  logs  were  held 
together  by  wooden  pegs,  and  oiled 
paper  served  for  window  glass. 
Even  the  hinges  of  the  door  were 
wooden,  as  was  the  latch  also,  which 
was  lifted  from  without  by  a  thong  run  through  a  hole. 
If  "the  latchstring  was  out"  friends  were  at  liberty  to 
enter.  Within,  the  furniture  was  of  the  rudest  sort.  Uten- 
sils of  metal  were  very  rare.  Huge  fireplaces  that  burned 

73 


A  BACKWOODSMAN 


74 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


great  logs  served  in  place  of  stoves.     Skins  and  furs  com- 
posed the  bed. 

Like  the  Indians,  the  backwoodsmen  were  hunters  rather 
than  farmers,  and  depended  on  their  guns  for  most  of 
their  food.  They  raised  a  little  corn,  and  a  few  pota- 
toes and  other  vegetables.  Nearly  all  of  them  had  served 
in  the  border  wars  against  the  Indians.  They  resembled 


A  TRAIN  OF  SETTLERS'  WAGONS 

the  Indians  also  in  their  dislike  of  thickly  settled  commu- 
nities and  near  neighbors,  and  in  their  laziness  and  lack  of 
ambition.  At  home  in  the  forest,  rough,  hardy,  illiterate, — 
such  were  the  pioneers  of  the  mighty  West. 

But  soon  another  and  better  class  began  to  settle  in  Illi- 
nois. They  came  from  the  Atlantic  states;  the  majority  of 
them  were  from  the  South— Virginia,  Maryland,  and  South 


BEGINNING  OF  NINETEENTH  CENTURY  75 

Carolina.  A  fair  proportion  of  them  had  received  a  rudi- 
mentary education,  and  among  them  were  men  who  after- 
wards served  the  state  in  places  of  trust  and  honor.  Some 
of  them  came  to  Kaskaskia  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
rivers;  but  most  of  them  came  overland  in  covered  wag- 
ons drawn  by  horses  or  oxen.  The  men  would  walk  before 
the  caravan  to  hunt  for  food  and  ward  off  danger,  and  at 
night  would  lie  down,  wrapped  in  blankets,  around  the 


BUILDING  A  LOG  HOUSE 

camp  fire.  The  women  and  children  spent  most  of  the  time 
in  the  wagons.  The  journey  was  not  free  from  peril,  and 
sometimes  it  occupied  three  or  four  months. 

These  people  often  settled  in  or  near  the  old  French  vil- 
lages. They  took  to  the  hill  country  along  rivers  and 
streams.  They  shunned  the  open  prairies  because  of  the 
absence  of  water,  shade,  and  fuel,  because  of  green-headed 


76  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

flies  that  swarmed  there,  and  because  of  their  idea  that  the 
prairies  were  unhealthful  and  the  soil  unproductive.  Thus 
they  left  unoccupied  some  of  the  best  portions  of  the  state 
and  chose  the  river  bottoms  where  crops  were  unreliable 
and  sickness  common. 

They  had  few  of  the  comforts  and  not  always  all  the  ne- 
cessities of  life  as  we  see  it  now.  Books  were  very  scarce 
and  schools  were  scarcer  still.  Sometimes  the  schoolmas- 
ter held  school  in  his  own  house.  The  work  of  the  men 
wTas  very  arduous — clearing  lands,  splitting  rails,  planting, 
and  harvesting  with  only  the  rudest  implements.  The 
winters  were  very  severe,  and  the  houses  were  far  from 
comfortable.  The  Indians  were  always  ready  to  make 
trouble  in  one  way  or  another.  Fever  and  ague  afflicted 
all.  Great  rainfalls  and  heavy  snows  were  common,  and 
the  constant  high  winds  were  very  disagreeable. 

Yet  the  settlers  had  much  leisure  and  many  merrymak- 
ings. Story-telling  was  an  art  much  cultivated.  Dancing, 
logrolling,  house  raising,  husking  bees,  and  apple  parings 
were  popular  amusements,  but  horse  racing  was  the  most 
popular  of  all.  The  whole  population  would  turn  out  for  a 
race.  It  gave  a  good  opportunity  for  the  men  to  visit  and 
trade  horses  with  one  another.  Much  whisky  was  used  by 
both  men  and  women,  and  a  race  generally  ended  in  a  fight. 

The  first  Protestant  religious  service  in  Illinois  was  held 
by  a  Baptist  minister,  the  Reverend  James  Smith,  who 
visited  New  Design  in  1787,  five  years  after  that  place  was 
founded  by  Clark's  men  on  the  highlands  overlooking  the 
Kaskaskia  and  the  Mississippi. v/At  this  place  the  first 


BEGINNING  OF  NINETEENTH  CENTURY  77 

Protestant  church  in  the  state  was  built  in  1796.  The  first 
circuit  rider  appeared  in  1804.  The  restraining  influence 
of  these  early  ministers  upon  the  habits  and  manners  of  the 
people  was  wholesome  and  much  needed. 

By  and  by  the  immigrants  from  Europe  began  to  find 
their  way  to  Illinois.  The  first  were  a  few  Irish  families 
who  settled  along  the  Ohio  River  about  1805.  Moses 
Birkbeck  brought  a  large  colony  from  England  in  which 
there  was  much  refinement  and  wealth,  and  located  in 
Edwards  County.  After  1815  Germans  came  in  large 
numbers. 

The  four  years  that  followed  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812 
were  years  of  unprecedented  growth.  Many  new  towns 
were  laid  out,  and  the  number  of  counties  in  Illinois  grew 
to  fifteen.  In  1820  the  population  amounted  to  55,211. 
The  new  settlements,  for  the  most  part,  were  still  found 
along  the  rivers  and  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  Of 
the  population  scarcely  one  twentieth  were  of  French  de- 
scent; the  rest  were  Americans.  With  the  exception  of  a 
few  Pennsylvanians,  they  were  mostly  from  the  Southern 
states,  and  they  stamped  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
South  upon  all  southern  Illinois.  In  1821  all  the  state 
north  and  west  of  the  Kankakee  and  Illinois  rivers  was  es- 
tablished into  one  large  county,  called  Pike.  South  of 
these  rivers,  in  1821,  the  state  was  divided  into  twenty-five 
counties. 

As  fear  of  the  Indians  decreased,  farms  became  larger 
and  settlements  grew  into  little  villages.  Herds  of  sheep 
were  pastured  on  the  hills  and  in  the  woods,  and  clothing 


78  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

made  of  cotton,  flax,  and  wool  came  to  take  the  place 
of  that  made  from  furs  and  skins.  In  1805  a  mail  route 
was  established  from  Vincennes  to  Cahokia,  and  in  1810 
routes  were 'established  by  act  of  Congress  from  Vincennes 
to  St.  Louis  by  way  of  Kaskaskia,  Prairie  du  Rocher,  and 
Cahokia.  The  first  newspaper  in  Illinois,  The  Illinois  Her- 
ald, was  established  at  Kaskaskia  about  1814;  the  second, 
The  Illinois  Emigrant,  at  Shawneetown,  1818;  the  third,  The 
Spectator,  at  Edwardsville,  1819.  The  first  steamboat  on 
the  upper  Mississippi  reached  St.  Louis  in  1817.  The  people 
gradually  began  to  live  more  like  their  countrymen  in  the 
East,  and  as  time  crept  slowly  on  signs  became  visible  of 
the  mighty  civilization  that  was  soon  to  flourish  on  the 
prairies  of  Illinois. 


XVI.    ADMISSION  TO  THE  UNION;    THE    FIRST 
CONSTITUTION 

The  population  had  so  much  increased  that  the  Illinois 
territorial  legislature,  in  January,  1818,  asked  the  Con- 
gressional delegate,  Nathaniel  Pope,  to  petition  Congress  to 
admit  Illinois  into  the  Union.  A  bill  for  that  purpose  was 
soon  introduced  in  Congress.  It  fixed  the  boundary  lines 
as  they  are  at  present  with  the  exception  of  the  northern 
line,  which  was  run  farther  south,  at  41°  39'.  But  Pope 
asked  that  it  be  made  at  42°  30',  as  it  is  now — and  no  man 
ever  rendered  the  state  a  greater  service.  He  argued  that 
if  41°  39'  were  made  the  boundary,  the  commerce  of  Illi- 
nois, which  he  said  was  destined  to  become  a  populous 
state,  would  be  confined  to  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers, 
and  so  be  mostly  with  the  Southern  states,  and  should  the 
slave  states. ever  attempt  to  withdraw  from  the  Union, 
Illinois  would  naturally  cast  her  lot  with  them.  But  on 
the  other  hand,  to  fix  the  boundary  at  42°  30'  would  give 
a  northern  outlet  to  her  commerce  by  way  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, which  would  unite  her  interests  with  those  of  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania,  and  New  York.  And,  declared  Pope,  by 
the  adoption  of  such  a  line  Illinois  might  become  at  some 
future  time  the  keystone  to  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union,— 
as  indeed  it  did  in  less  than  fifty  years.  The  fourteen 
counties  erected  out  of  the  strip  of  territory  sixty  miles 

79 


80  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

wide  which  he  secured  to  Illinois,  elected  the  republican 
state  ticket  in  1856,  secured  the  state  to  that  party,  and 
made  more  certain  the  nomination  and  election  of  Lincoln 
to  the  Presidency  four  years  later. 

Pope  further  argued  that  if  the  port  of  Chicago  were 
included  in  Illinois,  the  state  would  become  interested  in 
the  proposed  canal  connecting  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illi- 
nois River,  as  that  water  way  would  then  be  altogether 
within  its  limits.  Such  a  canal,  besides  developing  the 
country,  would  open  up  a  new  channel  of  trade  between 
the  East  and  West  and  bind  them  closer  together.  Had 
not  Chicago  been  included  in  the  state,  perhaps  it  would 
not  have  grown  so  rapidly,  for  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal  and  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  which  contributed 
so  largely  to  its  development,  were  the  outcome  of  Illi- 
nois enterprise  and  statesmanship,  and  might  never  have 
been  built,  had  their  terminus,  Chicago,  been  outside  the 
state. 

Pope's  request  having  been  granted,  the  "Enabling 
Act"  was  passed  and  became  law,  April  18.  Under  its 
provisions,  Illinois  was  declared  a  state  by  resolution  of 
Congress,  December  3,  1818. 

Pope  secured  the  admission  of  Illinois  on  a  smaller  popu- 
lation than  was  usually  required,  only  40,000;  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  territory  had  even  40,000,  for  so  eager  were 
the  people  for  statehood  that  many  were  counted  twice, 
and  even  emigrants  were  counted  as  they  passed  through 
the  territory. 

The  constitutional  convention  met  at  Kaskaskia,  and 


THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTION  81 

the  first  constitution  of  Illinois  was  signed  and  established 
August  26,  1818.  It  was  largely  copied  from  the  constitu- 
tions of  Kentucky,  Ohio,  and  Indiana. 

The  governor,  lieutenant  governor,  sheriffs,  coroners, 
county  commissioners,  and  the  delegates  to  the  general  as- 
sembly were  elected  by  the  people,  but  other  officers  named 
in  the  constitution  were  to  be  appointed,  some  by  the  gov- 
ernor and  some  by  the  legislature.  Frequent  clashes  be- 
tween the  governor  and  the  assembly  were  caused  by  the 
fact  that  the  constitution  did  not  make  clear  whether  the 
executive  or  the  legislature  was  to  appoint  to  additional 
offices  later  created  by  the  legislature. 

The  constitution  of  Illinois  was  one  of  the  first  constitu- 
tions to  prohibit  imprisonment  for  debt.  It  granted  the 
right  to  vote  to  all  white  males  over  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  who  had  resided  six  months  in  the  state. 

Shadrach  Bond  was  the  most  popular  man  in  the  state 
and  was  elected  governor  without  opposition.  He  was  jo- 
vial, thoroughly  honest,  and  unostentatious.  A  French- 
man, Pierre  Menard,  who  could  speak  but  little  English, 
but  who  was  of  sound  judgment,  hospitable  and  benevolent 
to  all,  was  the  first  lieutenant  governor.  Elias  Kent  Kane 
was  appointed  secretary  of  state.  Ninian  Edwards  and 
Jesse  B.  Thomas  were  the  first  United  States  senators  from 
Illinois. 

The  first  legislature  was  made  up  of  fourteen  senators 
and  twenty-eight  representatives.  The  first  message  of 
the  governor  recommended  more  lenient  punishments  for 
crimes,  the  leasing  of  the  school  lands  for  the  sake  of  edu- 

Illinois — 6 


82  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

cation,  and  the  construction  at  an  early  date  of  the  Illinois 
and  Michigan  Canal.  At  the  second  session  of  the  legisla- 
ture a  commission  was  appointed  to  lay  out  a  town  and 
erect  a  temporary  statehouse.  Vandalia  was  the  site 
chosen  for  the  new  capitol. 


XVII.    SLAVERY  IN  ILLINOIS 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  plainly  prohibited  slavery,  yet 
there  was  a  clause  in  the  ordinance  that  was  interpreted 
without  much  show  of  reason  to  allow  the  French  in  Illinois 
still  to  hold  their  slaves  and  their  slaves'  descendants  in 
servitude,  as  they  had  done  since  1722  under,  the  successive 
rule  of  France,  England,  and  Virginia.  The  Northwest 
Ordinance  was  further  violated  in  1807  when  the  territorial 
legislature  of  Indiana  (which  then  included  Illinois)  passed 
an  act  making  indentured  servitude  legal. 

By  this  law  a  person  bringing  slaves  into  the  territory 
had  to  take  them,  within  thirty  days,  before  the  clerk  of  the 
court,  and,  if  the  slaves  were  willing,  have  an  indenture  or 
contract  between  the  slaves  and  himself  entered  upon 
record,  with  the  specified  time  the  slaves  were  to  serve. 
This  term  of  service  was  sometimes  fixed  at  ninety-nine 
years.  The  descendants  of  the  slaves  were  also  to  serve 
until  they  were  about  thirty  years  old.  But  if  the  slaves 
refused  to  enter  into  such  an  agreement,  their  master  had 
to  remove  them  from  the  state  within  sixty  days.  Under 
this  provision  slavery  increased. 

The  Illinois  constitution  of  ISIS  'prohibited  the  future 
introduction  of  slavery,  but  recognized  indentured  servi- 
tude and  left  the  slaves  in  their  previous  condition.  The 
children  of  indentured  servants,  however,  were  to  be  set 

83 


84  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

free  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  if  males,  or  eighteen  if 
females. 

The  number  of  slaves  was  small,  yet  the  first  legislature 
passed  severe  and  stringent  black  laws  such  as  were  usu- 
ally enacted  in  slave  states  to  prevent  a  servile  uprising. 
For  example,  no  negro  could  reside  in  the  state  without 
showing  a  certificate  of  his  freedom,  and  every  black  or 
mulatto  without  such  a  certificate  of  his  freedom  was  sub- 
ject to  arrest  as  a  runaway  slave  and  was  to  be  advertised 
and  sold,  if  not  claimed.  Any  slave  or  servant  found  ten 
miles  from  home  without  permit  was  liable  to  arrest  and 
thirty-five  stripes  from  the  lash.  There  was  a  long  list  of 
offenses  punishable  by  the  lash.  To  harbor  a  runaway 
slave  was  made  a  felony. 

Most  of  the  settlers  had  come  from  Southern  states,  and 
consequently  many  of  them  were  in  favor  of  slavery  and 
were  anxious  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state.  Some  of 
them  even  went  so  far  as  to  petition  Congress  to  annul  the 
Ordinance  of  1787  as  unconstitutional.  About  this  time, 
1821,  Missouri  was  admitted  as  a  slave  state  and  many 
emigrants  from  Kentucky  and  Virginia  were  pouring 
through  Illinois  into  it.  As  they  passed  they  pretended 
to  regret  the  short-sighted  policy  of  Illinois  that  excluded 
them  from  purchasing  land  and  settling  here  with  their 
slaves.  Many  of  those  who  had  lands  and  farms  to  sell, 
when  they  saw  the  rdads  crowded  with  these  lordly  emi- 
grants and  their  long  lines  of  teams  and  slaves,  began  to 
envy  the  good  fortune  of  Missouri.  And  so  it  happened 
that  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  slavery  grew,  and  at  the 


SLAVERY  IN  ILLINOIS  85 

second  election  for  governor  it  became  the  silent  though 
real  issue. 

The  antislavery  party  nominated  for  governor  a  young 
Virginian  of  polished  manners  and  unimpeachable  charac- 
ter, Edward  Col.es.  For  six  years  he  had  been  the  highly 
esteemed  private  secretary  of  President  Madison,  and  he 
enjoyed  the  confidence  of  such  men  as  Jefferson  and  Mon- 
roe. As  a  special  minister  to  Russia  he  had  prevented  an 
open  rupture  with  the  Czar.  Impressed  with  the  advan- 
tages of  Illinois,  he  came  hither  and  brought  his  slaves 
with  him,  only  to  free  them  and  give  each  family  160  acres 
of  Illinois  land.  Upon  his  coming  here  the  President  had 
appointed  him  registrar  of  the  land  office  at  Edwardsville. 
And  when  large  numbers  of  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
state  came  to  have  their  deeds  made  out  and  their  titles 
verified,  his  kind  and  agreeable  manner  made  them  all 
his  friends. 

Two  proslavery  candidates  were  run  against  him.  One 
of  them  had  entered  in  the  race  for  the  sole  object  of  divert- 
ing votes  from  the  popular  registrar.  But  this  served  only 
to  divide  the  proslavery  vote,  and  when  the  election  was 
over  it  was  found  that  Coles  had  won.  The  proslavery 
men  elected  all  the  rest  of  the  ticket  and  had  control  of 
both  houses  of  the  legislature. 

In  his  inaugural  address  Coles  gave  slavery  a  prominent 
place,  and  earnestly  recommended  its  abolition  from  Illi- 
nois. The  committee  to  whom  this  portion  of  the  address 
was  referred  presented  a  majority  and  a  minority  report. 
The  minority  recommended  the  abolition  of  slavery,  while 


EDWARD  COLES 


SLAVERY  IN  ILLINOIS  87 

the  majority  report  recommended  that  the  people  of  the 
state  at  the  next  general  election  vote  for  or  against  a  con- 
vention to  amend  the  constitution ;  their  purpose  being  to 
make  Illinois  a  slave  state.  One  vote  was  lacking  in  the 
house  of  representatives  to  pass  the  resolution  recom- 
mended by  the  majority  report.  The  proslavery  men 
therefore  expelled  one  member  who  was  opposed  to  the 
convention,  gave  his  seat  to  another,  and  thus  passed  the 
resolution. 

Reynolds  says  of  this  illegal  step:  "This  proceeding  in 
the  general  assembly  looked  revolutionary  and  was  con-' 
demned  by  all  honest  and  reflecting  men.  This  outrage 
was  a  deathblow  to  the  convention.  The  night  after  the 
passage  of  the  resolution  there  was  at  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment a  wild  and  indecorous  procession  by  torchlight  and 
liquor,  and  that  was  also  unpopular." 

The  abolitionists  rightly  opposed  the  convention,  for 
they  saw  that  if  it  convened,  slavery  would  be  fastened  on 
the  state.  The  campaign  that  followed  was  the  most  excit- 
ing and  bitter  the  state  ever  saw.  The  conflict  assumed 
national  importance,  for  with  Illinois  a  slave  state  the 
preponderance  of  the  slave  party  in  national  affairs  was 
assured.  Addresses  were  issued  to  the  people,  public 
meetings  held,  and  the  newspapers  took  a  lively  part  in 
the  discussion.  The  rude  pulpit  thundered  against  slavery 
as  a  crime.  Personal  combats  were  frequent.  There  was 
an  avalanche  of  personal  abuse.  The  convention  men, 
certain  of  success,  were  arrogant,  insulting,  and  defiant. 
As  Governor  Ford  in  his  history  well  says,  if  the  people  had 


88  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

not  made  allowance  for  the  exaggeration  and  falsehoods  of 
this  campaign,  the  reputation  of  all  men  would  have  been 
overwhelmed  and  consumed. 

At  the  head  of  the  abolitionists  was  Governor  Coles, 
whose  efforts  were  untiring.  His  residence  was  mobbed, 
yet  neither  violence  nor  abuse  abated  his  zeal.  He  cheer- 
fully gave  his  salary  to  the  cause  as  well  as  his  official 
influence  and  personal  ability.  He  was  ably  seconded  by 
Daniel  P.  Cook  and  Moses  Birkbeck.  The  Reverend  John 
Mason  Peck,  a  Baptist  minister,  fearlessly  denounced 
slavery  in  the  log  churches,  schoolhouses  and  in  private 
houses,  everywhere  in  the  state. 

On  election  day  the  aged  and  the  cripples  were  carried  to 
the  polls,  and  it  is  said  men  voted  on  that  occasion  who  had 
not  seen  a  ballot  box  for  twenty  years.  The  eventful  day, 
August  2,  1824,  showed  a  majority  against  the  convention, 
6,640  to  4,972,  and  slavery  was  dead  in  Illinois  forever. 

Only  two  other  important  events  of  Coles's  administra- 
tion need  be  mentioned.  The  statehouse  at  Vandalia  was 
burned  in  December,  1823;  but  a  new  one  was  soon  built 
there.  In  April,  1825,  General  Lafayette,  the  friend  of 
America,  visited  Kaskaskia,  and  Governor  Coles,  who  had 
made  his  acquaintance  in  France,  welcomed  him  to  Illi- 
nois. 

Coles's  high  character  and  polished  manners,  his  great 
influence  and  his  hatred  of  slavery,  made  him  very  unpopu- 
lar among  certain  classes  of  people.  The  legislature  con- 
stantly antagonized  him  and  took  every  opportunity  to 
insult  him.  He  nominated  the  cultured  and  worthy  Moses 


SLAVERY  IN  ILLINOIS  89 

Birkbeck  for  secretary  of  state,  but  the  legislature,  to  its  dis- 
grace, refused  to  confirm  the  nomination.  While  Coles  was 
absent  from  the  state  the  lieutenant  governor,  Hubbard, 
made  himself  a  laughingstock  by  trying  to  steal  his  place. 
Coles  left  Illinois  in  1832  and  went  to  Philadelphia.  He 
lived  long  enough  to  see  the  whole  slavery  question  settled 
by  the  Civil  War.  To  him  we  are  most  indebted  for  saving 
Illinois  from  the  curse  of  African  slavery,  and  thus  placing 
it  in  a  position  to  maintain  the  Union  some  thirty  years 
later. 


XVIII.    ADMINISTRATION  OF  NINIAN  EDWARDS 

(1826-1830) 

The  third  governor  was  Ninian  Edwards.  He  had  been 
governor  of  the  territory  of  Illinois.  Whenever  he  went 
out  among  the  people  he  arrayed  himself  in  the  style  of  a 
gentleman  of  the  olden  times — fine  broadcloth  coat,  short 
breeches,  long  stockings,  and  high-topped  boots — and  was 
drawn  in  a  fine  carriage  driven  by  a  negro.  His  speeches 
were  pompous  and  florid.  When  he  was  inaugurated  gov- 
ernor in  1826  he  appeared  before  the  general  assembly  in  a 
gold-laced  cloak  and  with  a  sword. 

Like  Coles,  Edwards  was  opposed  by  the  legislature, 
which  had  passed  some  very  bad  measures  of  finance. 
Taxation  was  unpopular,  and  the  legislators  feared  to  tax 
the  people  lest  they  should  endanger  their  places.  In  order 
to  replenish  the  state  treasury,  which  was  always  in  debt, 
in  1828-29  they  began  the  very  unwise  policy  of  selling  the 
school  lands  and  borrowing  the  school  funds.  Congress 
had  made  a  most  munificent  provision  for  public  education 
when  it  donated  to  Illinois  the  sixteenth  section  of  every 
township  and  three  per  cent,  of  the  net  proceeds  from  the 
sale  of  public  lands  for  the  support  of  common  schools, 
together  with  two  townships  of  land  for  a  seminary  of 
learning.  Some  of  these  lands  had  been  leased  to  settlers, 
who  clamored  for  a  permanent  title  and  prevailed  upon  the 

90 


ADMINISTRATION   OF   EDWARDS    (1826-1830)  91 

legislature  to  sell  them  these  school  lands  at  a  very  low 
price.  The  people  were  shortsighted  enough  to  permit  the 
sale  of  all.  Had  those  lands  been  kept  for  the  purpose  for 
which  they  were  given,  no  taxation  would  now  be  necessary 
to  support  public  schools. 

In  1826-27  hundreds  of  people  from  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri flocked  to  Galena  to  work  in  the  lead  mines  that  had 
been  opened  there.  The  Winnebagoes  objected  to  their 
settling  on  Indian  lands,  and  were  joined  in  their  resistance 
by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  and  the  Sioux.  A  body  of  United 
States  regulars,  reenforced  by  volunteers,  soon  routed  the 
red  men. 

National  politics  began  to  claim  the  attention  of  the 
people  about  this  time.  Daniel  P.  Cook  was  a  man  of  many 
pleasing  ways,  kind  and  without  guile.  He  had  been  a 
member  of  Congress  since  1819,  and  had  secured  from 
Congress  a  donation  of  225,000  acres  of  land  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal.  Because  of 
this  service  Cook  County  was  named  for  him.  In  the  pre- 
ceding presidential  election,  in  1824,  neither  Jackson  nor 
Adams  nor  Crawford  being  elected,  it  fell  to  the  House  of 
Representatives  to  decide  which  one  should  be  President. 
The  House  voted  by  states,  and  the  vote  of  thirteen  states 
was  necessary  to  elect;  Illinois,  represented  by  Cook,  was 
one  of  the  thirteen  that  voted  for  Adams  and  elected  him. 
The  people  of  Illinois  had  given  Jackson  more  votes  than 
Adams,  and  they  were  so  fond  of  Jackson  that  they  defeated 
Cook  for  Congress  and  elected  a  young  man  named  Joseph 
Duncan  instead. 


XIX.    THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR 

The  fourth  governor,  John  Reynolds,  was  an  odd  charac- 
ter. He  was  brought  up  among  frontier  people  and  like 
them  had  a  dislike  for  fashion  and  polish  and  was  addicted 
to  profanity.  He  wrote  two  books  on  Illinois  history  that 
are  pleasant  reading  because  they  are  full  of  his  personal 
observation  and  gossip.  He  began  practice  as  a  lawyer  at 
Cahokia,  in  1814,  and  announced  in  the  Illinois  Herald  of 
Kaskaskia:  "To  the  poor  people  of  Illinois  and  Missouri 
Territory :  To  the  above  class  of  mankind  whose  pecuniary 
circumstances  will  not  admit  of  feeing  a  lawyer,  I  tender  my 
professional  services  as  a  lawyer  in  all  the  courts  I  practice 
in,  without  fee  or  reward.  John  Reynolds."  He  soon  had 
a  large  and  remunerative  practice. 

The  Black  Hawk  War  was  the  chief  event  of  interest  in 
Reynolds's  administration.  It  is  scarcely  worthy  of  the 
name  of  war.  About  8,000  volunteers  and  1,500  regulars 
were  called  out  to  expel  from  the  state  some  500  warriors 
and  their  women  and  children.  The  whole  trouble  might 
have  been  averted  by  the  payment  of  a  few  thousand 
dollars  to  the  Indians.  As  it  was,  it  cost  the  state  two  mil- 
lion dollars  and  the  loss  of  about  one  thousand  lives— 
mostly  Indians,  and  so  reckoned,  at  that  time,  of  little  con- 
sequence. 

The  early  settlers  thoroughly  detested  the  Indian,  fre- 

92 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  93 

quently  maltreated  him,  and  constantly  demanded  that  he 
should  go.  In  such  a  state  of  mind  as  this,  they  needed 
little  or  no  provocation  to  declare  war  on  him. 

In  1804  a  treaty  had  been  made  between  the  government 
and  certain  representatives  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians. 
In  consideration  of  the  payment  of  $1,000  annually  by 
the  government  to  the  two  tribes,  the  Indians  ceded  all 
the  land  between  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers  on  the 
north,  the  Illinois  River  on  the  south,  and  the  Mississippi 
River  on  the  west.  There  was  a  provision,  however,  that 
as  long  as  this  territory  remained  the  property  of  the  govern- 
ment the  Indians  should  enjoy  the  privilege  of  living  and 
hunting  on  it.  The  main  village  of  the  two  tribes  was 
Sankernunt,  which  was  not  far  from  Rock  Island  on  the 
Rock  River.  It  was  occupied  by  about  500  families  and 
was  dear  to  the  Indian  heart,  for  here  were  the  graves  of 
the  Sac  and  Fox  forefathers.  In  the  rich  soil  of  the  neigh- 
borhood they  planted  corn  and  a  few  vegetables.  But  un- 
happily for  the  savage,  the  fame  of  this  fertile  spot  came  to 
the  ears  of  that  restless  class,  the  squatters,  who  continually 
pushed  their  frontier  over  the  line  of  the  Indian  preserves. 
This  was  as  early  as  1823.  Although  the  land  of  the  Sac  and 
Fox  was  fifty  miles  in  advance  of  the  regular  settlements — 
the  farthest  north  were  then  at  Monmouth — and  although 
an  abundance  of  land  just  as  good  was  open  to  legal  entry 
and  sale,  yet  from  that  time  on  these  lands  under  cultiva- 
tion by  the  Indians  were  squatted  upon  and  continually 
occupied  without  the  least  shadow  of  right. 
The  squatters  often  took  advantage  of  the  absence  of 


94 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


the  Indians  on  their  hunting  expeditions  and  fenced  in  and 
cultivated  their  cornfields,  drove  off  the  squaws  and  children 
who  ventured  on  the  claims,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  burn 
their  lodges  over  their  heads.  Complaints  and  collisions 
followed,  until  in  1829  President  Jackson  notified  the 
Indians  that  they  would  have  to  remove  to  the  west  bank 
of  the  Mississippi.  But  when  Black  Hawk,  one  of  the  chiefs, 

heard  this  he  gathered 
a  part  of  the  tribe 
around  him  and  deter- 
mined not  to  abandon 
his  ancient  village.  He 
claimed  that  those  who 
signed  the  land  away 
had  no  authority  to  do 
so,  and  besides,  that 
the  government  had 
already  broken  the 
treaty. 

In  1831  came  the  first 
actual  outbreak.  A  se- 
vere winter  and  an  unsuccessful  hunt  had  discouraged  the 
Indians,  and  when  they  came  back  to  their  village  they 
were  defiantly  ordered  to  be  gone.  Black  Hawk  replied 
that  if  any  withdrew  it  would  be  the  invaders,  and  that 
he  would  force  them  to  go.  The  squatters — about  forty 
in  number— frightened,  or  pretending  to  be,  appealed  to 
Governor  Reynolds  for  protection.  Instead  of  leaving  the 
matter  to  the  Federal  government,  the  governor  issued 


BLACK  HAWK 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  95 

a  call  for  700  volunteers  to  remove  the  Indians  from  Rock 
Island. 

This  was  a  popular  move.  The  many  lawless  adventur- 
ers who  infest  frontier  settlements  were  eager  for  a  chance 
to  plunder.  Money  was  scarce  among  the  hardy  pioneers, 
and  the  war  promised  a  large  expenditure.  Then  many 
of  them  had  suffered  in  person  and  property  from  the 
Indians.  Hence  the  volunteers  that  gathered  at  Beards- 
town  were  double  the  number  called  for.  The  combined 
force  of  volunteers  and  six  companies  of  regulars  appeared 
before  the  village  of  the  Sacs;  but  Black  Hawk,  having 
only  about  300  warriors  with  him,  successfully  withdrew 
to  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  A  treaty  was  signed  to 
the  effect  that  he  was  not  to  recross  the  river,  and  that 
the  government  was  to  furnish  him  and  his  band  with  pro- 
visions to  tide  them  over  the  hard  times. 

It  was  too  late  to  raise  a  crop  of  corn,  and  the  government 
did  not  supply  them  with  sufficient  provisions,  so  the 
Indians  passed  a  miserable  summer  and  winter.  Black 
Hawk  regarded  the  treaty  as  already  violated  by  the 
government.  On  being  assured  of  the  sympathy  of  the 
Winnebagoes  and  the  Pottawatomies,  he  resolved  to 
reoccupy  his  village  near  Rock  Island;  or  if  he  were  not 
permitted  to  do  so,  to  proceed  to  Prophetstown  and  raise 
a  crop  of  corn  with  the  Winnebagoes.  To  this  end  he 
crossed  the  Mississippi  at  Yellow  Banks  (Oquawka)  on 
April  6,  1832,  with  a  band  of  500  warriors  and  their  fam- 
ilies, and  made  his  way  northward. 

Then  all  was  excitement.     The  governor  issued  a  call 


96  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

for  a  strong  detachment  of  militia.  One  thousand  regulars 
and  two  thousand  volunteers  proceeded  to  Rock  Island. 
Governor  Reynolds  accompanied  them.  Zachary  Taylor 
and  Jefferson  Davis  were  officers  in  the  regulars,  and 
Abraham  Lincoln  was  a  captain  of  a  volunteer  company. 
Weary,  wet,  and  hungry,  they  searched  for  the  Indians,  but 
no  Black  Hawk  could  they  find. 

Ank  independent  battalion  of  rangers  under  Major  Still- 
man,  having  great  confidence  in  themselves,  had  separated 
from  the  main  army  and  had  marched  to  a  place  called  Old 
Man's  Creek  to  annihilate  some  Indians  who  were  supposed 
to  be  lurking  there.  Meanwhile  Black  Hawk,  sadly  dis- 
appointed by  the  failure  of  the  Winnebagoes  and  the 
Pottawatomies  to  rally  to  his  aid,  had  made  up  his  mind 
to  cross  the  river  never  to  return,  and  was  preparing  to 
surrender  when  he  \vas  informed  that  a  company  of  white 
cavalry  had  encamped  six  miles  away.  This  was  Stillman 
and  his  men,  but  Black  Hawk  supposed  that  it  was  the 
main  division  of  the  army,  and  at  once  sent  three  braves 
with  a  flag  of  truce  to  inform  the  commander  that  he  was 
ready  to  surrender.  Five  other  braves  were  sent  to  watch 
the  result  from  a  safe  distance. 

When  the  Indian  messengers  came  in  sight  the  rangers, 
crazed  by  liquor,  pursued  them,  and  killed  two  of  them  in 
spite  of  the  white  flag  and  in  violation  of  all  the  rules  of 
war.  The  other  Indians  fled  and  told  Black  Hawk,  who  was 
preparing  to  go  to  the  interview,  what  had  happened. 
Great  was  his  rage.  He  appealed  to  the  forty  men  who  were 
with  him  to  follow  him,  and  they  immediately  set  out  to 


THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR  97 

avenge  their  slain.  When  the  whites  saw  them  coming 
they  ran  wildly  forward,  a  disorderly,  undisciplined  mob. 

Black  Hawk  awaited  them,  and  when  they  came  up  he 
ordered  his  men  to  fire.  Raising  the  war  whoop,  the  sav- 
ages rushed  forward.  Stillman's  men  did  not  wait  for  a 
second  volley,  but  turned  and  fled.  They  dashed  through 
their  abandoned  camp,  and  neither  swamp  nor  swollen 
stream  checked  their  flight.  Some  then  made  a  firm 
stand,  but  the  others  continued  their  mad  gallop  forty  or 
fifty  miles  to  their  homes,  spreading  through  all  the  country 
the  news  that  Black  Hawk  was  coming  with  2,000  braves. 
Eleven  white  men  and  three  Indians  were  killed.  The 
place  was  called,  from  the  defeat,  Stillman's  Run — now 
Stillman  Valley,  in  Ogle  County. 

Elated  by  the  victory,  Black  Hawk  advanced  to  the  Rock 
River.  Winnebagoes  and  Pottawatomies  joined  him.  More 
volunteers  were  called.  General  Winfield  Scott  was  ordered 
from  the  East  with  1,000  regulars.  Again  the  army  lost 
track  of  the  Indians.  Finally  they  wrere  found  retreating 
toward  the  Mississippi,  and  were  worsted  at  a  skirmish  at 
Wisconsin  Heights,  a  bluff  on  the  Wisconsin  River,  not  far 
from  the  present  city  of  Madison.  That  night  the  Indians 
placed  their  women  and  children  and  old  men  upon  a  raft 
and  in  canoes  and  sent  them  down  to  the  Mississippi.  But 
the  troops  discovered  these  noncombatants  and  fired  upon 
them;  and  about  100  were  killed  or  drowned.  Those  that 
escaped  took  refuge  in  the  woods,  where  death  by  starva- 
tion and  exposure  awaited  them. 

Through  swamps  and  water  up  to  their  armpits  the 

Illinois — 7 


98  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

troops  pursued  the  Indians.  As  they  hunted  them  down 
they  saw  evidences  of  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  savages. 
The  bark  had  been  stripped  from  the  trees  for  food,  and 
here  and  there  was  found  the  lifeless  body  of  a  brave  who 
had  fallen  starved  to  death. 

Black  Hawk  reached  the  Mississippi  before  his  pursuers, 
and  with  only  a  few  canoes  began  the  difficult  task  of  ferry- 
ing his  half-starved  band  across  the  river.  Suddenly  a 
military  transport  arrived  with  about  twenty  soldiers  on 
board;  while  Black  Hawk  was  attempting  to  explain  to 
them  his  desire  to  surrender,  they  opened  fire  and  killed  a 
score  or  more  of  his  people.  The  next  day  the  Indians 
again  attempted  to  cross  to  the  west  side  of  the  river,  when 
both  transport  and  army  came  upon  them  and  renewed  the 
slaughter. 

For  three  hours  the  dreadful  carnage  was  kept  up. 
Resistance  was  useless,  but  the  Indians  perished  like  brave 
men  with  their  face  to  the  foe.  About  150  Indians  were 
killed  in  fight,  about  the  same  number  were  drowned,  and 
about  40  prisoners  were  taken.  About  300  escaped  across 
the  river,  where  they  supposed  they  would  be  safe,  but 
there  at  the  instigation  of  the  whites  a  band  of  Sioux  fell 
upon  them  and  left  but  few  to  escape.  Nearly  the  whole 
tribe  was  wiped  out.  Black  Hawk  was  taken  to  Fort 
Monroe,  and  later  on  was  made  a  ward  of  his  rival.  Chief 
Keokuk. 


XX.    ILLINOIS  IN  1830-1840 

By  1830  fifty-one  counties  had  been  organized  and  the 
population  had  grown  to  157,445,  yet  a  third  of  the  state 
was  still  virgin  prairie  inhabited  only  by  Indians.  In  1821- 
23  attention  had  been  directed  to  the  Military  Tract,  and 
there  was  a  great  rush  of  settlers  into  this  rich  region 
which  the  government  had  given  as  bounty  to  the  soldiers 
of  the  War  of  1812.  Much  of  it  had  not  been  claimed  by 
those  to  whom  it  was  given,  and  had  to  be  sold  for  taxes. 
The  Black  Hawk  War  did  much  to  develop  western  and 
northern  Illinois.  The  sqldiers  returning  from  the  war 
carried  southward  such  favorable  reports  of  the  country 
that  many  went  north  to  settle;  and  in  1831  the  counties 
of  La  Salle,  Cook,  and  Rock  Island  were  organized.  The 
pay  of  the  volunteers,  amounting  to  half  a  million  dollars, 
was  almost  wholly  used  in  paying  for  land  already  acquired 
or  for  entering  new  claims. 

The  few  who  settled  in  the  midst  of  the  prairies  broke  up 
the  land  with  throe  or  four  yoke  of  oxen  and  built  fences  of 
rails  or  sod.  When  the  prairie  fires  came,  spreading  with 
terrific  rapidity  and  driving  all  the  wild  game  before  them, 
the  farmer  hastened  to  plow  several  furrows  around  his 
home  and  barns  in  order  to  save  them. 

Settlers  from  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  and  New 
England  began  to  come  to  Illinois.  Many  of  these  Eastern- 
ers settled  in  the  towns,  and  there  sprang  up  no  little  dis- 

99 


~*fe  f^-l,    *-V       -.f.\  r/~ 

•3^4=^'    ^1 


MAP  OF  ILLINOIS  IN  1834.  SHOWING  STAGE  ROUTES 
100 


ILLINOIS  IN  1830-1840  101 

trust  between  these  Yankees  and  the  many  Southerners 
in  the  state.  By  1834  the  center  of  population  had  shifted 
from  the  vicinity  of  Kaskaskia,  where  it  had  remained  so 
long,  to  a  point  north  of  Vandalia.  As  the  permanent 
settlers  came  in  greater  numbers  the  careless  squatter, 
always  chafing  under  the  restraints  of  society,  sold  his 
patch  of  corn  and  with  the  Indians  moved  westward. 
*[/n  At  this  time  the  only  towns  of  any  importance  were 
Chicago,  Peoria,  Quincy,  and  Alton.  In  1827  the  state 
penitentiary  was  located  at  Alton.  The  town  grew  rapidly 
and  bade  fair  to  become  the  metropolis  of  the  Mississippi 
valley.  In  1837  it  had  a  population  of  2,500.  Quincy  in 
the  same  year  had  a  population  of  1,500,  a  land  office, 
an  expensive  courthouse,  three  taverns,  and  twenty-five 
stores.  Peoria  had  about  the  same  number  of  inhabitants, 
one  brewery,  a  newspaper,  two  free  schools,  five  churches, 
and  twenty-five  stores.  Chicago  in  1832  contained  only 
five  small  stores  and  250  inhabitants;  by  1837  it  had  be- 
come the  largest  place  in  the  state,  with  4,179  inhabi- 
tants, one  hundred  and  twenty  stores,  twelve  taverns, 
three  newspapers,  nearly  fifty  lawyers,  and  thirty  physi- 
cians. In  1832  only  four  ships  arrived  at  its  port,  while 
in  1837  there  were  456  arrivals. 

Beginning  about  1830,  a  marked  change  occurred  in  the 
life  of  the  people.  They  came  together  more  frequently, 
at  church,  at  camp  meeting,  at  court.  The  old  dress  of  the 
backwoodsmen  gave  place  to  that  of  the  more  tidy  East- 
erner. Ambition  and  industry  followed.  The  desire  for 
knowledge  manifested  itself.  The  softening  influences  of 


102  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

civilization  began  to  be  felt.  Together  with  the  school- 
teacher and  the  circuit  rider  came  the  merchant,  the  lawyer, 
the  physician,  the  editor,  and  the  singing  master.  Yet  Il- 
linois was  still  a  vastly  different  state  .from  what  it  is  now. 

The  country  was  overrun  with  well-organized  gangs  of 
horse  thieves,  negro  stealers,  and  counterfeiters.  High- 
way robbery  and  murder  were  frequent.  Sometimes  out- 
laws would  attack  bands  of  immigrants,  and  sometimes  they 
would  plunder  the  smaller  towns.  The  whole  state  suffered 
from  them,  although  they  particularly  infested  the  river 
bottoms  and  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  Nauvoo,  under 
the  Mormons,  was  a  very  paradise  for  them.  Sometimes 
the  officers  of  the  law  were  in  partnership  with  them. 
Finally,  the  people  organized  themselves  into  companies 
of  "  Regulators, "  or  Vigilance  Committees,  and  by  taking 
the  law  into  their  own  hands  drove  most  of  the  marauders 
out  of  the  state,  although  in  some  places  the  gangs  held 
sway  down  almost  to  the  Civil  War.  As  late  as  1831  a 
noted  band  of  outlaws  built  a  fort  in  Pope  County,  and  de- 
fied the  authorities  until  attacked  by  large  numbers. 

It  was  only  in  1833  that  the  last  Indian  tribe,  the  Potta- 
watomies,  left  the  state. 

People  traveled  by  stagecoach;  the  fare  was  six  cents 
a  mile.  The  first  mail  route  from  the  central  part  of  the 
state  to  Chicago  was  established  in  1826,  starting  from 
Springfield.  The  first  newspaper  in  Chicago,  The  Democrat, 
was  issued  in  1833;  and  the  first  daily  newspaper  in  the 
state,  The  Daily  American,  was  published  in  Chicago  in 
1839.  The  first  school  of  higher  learning  was  the  theological 


ILLINOIS  IN  1830-1840  103 

seminary  and  high  school  at  Rock  Springs,  founded  in  1827 
and  in  1831  transferred  to  Upper  Alton,  where  it  was  later 
reorganized  under  the  name  it  still  bears,  Shurtleff  College. 
The  Lebanon  Seminary  was  established  in  1828,  and  in 
1830  was  renamed  McKendree  College.  Illinois  College 
was  established  at  Jacksonville  in  1829.  The  first  railroad 
in  the  state,  the  Northern  Cross,  was  completed  in  1839. 

This  was  the  heyday  of  the  camp  meeting  and  the  circuit 
rider.  People  would  go  for  miles  to  attend  camp  meeting. 
Excitement  ran  high,  and  many  of  those  professing  con- 
version were  seized  with  the  "jerks,"  a  peculiar  nervous 
disorder.  Often  bands  of  ruffians  would  attempt  to  break 
up  the  meetings,  but  sometimes  they  were  dealt  with  in  no 
gentle  manner  by  the  muscular  preachers.  For  the  circuit 
rider,  the  pioneer  of  religion  and  education,  was  as  hardy 
and  uncouth  as  those  to  whom  he  preached.  Chief  among 
the  circuit  riders  was  Peter  Cartright,  who  ran  against 
Lincoln  for  Congress  in  1846.  His  Autobiography  is  an 
amusing  yet  faithful  picture  of  the  religious  life  of  those 
days.  After  1832  an  increasing  number  of  ministers  from 
New  England  came  to  Illinois.  Among  these  early  min- 
isters was  Philander  Chase,  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Illinois 
from  1835  to  1852.  At  first  their  ways  and  preaching, 
so  different  from  the  circuit  riders',  were  unpopular. 
But  they  introduced  a  much  higher  plane  of  thinking. 

The  court  room,  where  a  sure  but  rude  sort  of  justice  was 
administered,  was  a  popular  gathering  place.  The  trial  by 
jury  supplied  the  place  of  theater,  lecture,  and  concert, 
and  was  a  valuable  agency  in  the  education  of  the  people. 


XXI.     STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

From  the  first  the  water  ways  of  the  West  attract  atten- 
tion as  a  factor  in  the  discovery  and  development  of  the 
country.  For  a  while  the  French  used  the  Indian  birch- 
bark  canoe,  but  it  was  too  frail  a  craft  for  the  strong  current 


BARK  CANOE 

of  the  Mississippi.  So  they  hewed  boats  out  of  solid  logs. 
These  pirogues  (pi-rdgs),  as  they  were  called,  were  of  greater 
width  and  capacity  than  the  canoes,  and  in  them  the 
French  carried  their  furs  down  to  New  Orleans.  As  trade 
increased  still  larger  boats  were  demanded,  and  flatboats, 
keel  boats  and  barges  took  the  place  of  lighter  craft. 
The  flatboats  were  generally  used  only  in  descending  the 

104 


STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI 


105 


river,  and  the  keel  boats  and  barges  also  in  ascending. 
Sometimes  they  were  propelled  upstream  by  poles,  some- 
times they  were  rowed  and  towed  like  canal  boats.  Some- 
times the  "warp  "  was  adopted;  that  is,  a  coil  of  rope  would 
be  sent  forward  to  some  tree  on  shore  or  some  snag  in  the 
river  and  then  all  hands  would  pull  the  boat  forward.  Then 


FLATBOAT 

another  tree  or  snag  would  be  selected,  and  so  on  to  the 
end.  It  was  row  and  tow,  and  pole  and  warp,  for  months, 
before  a  cargo  from  New  Orleans  reached  Kaskaskia. 

Many  perils  from  man  and  nature  attended  the  journey. 
Indians  and  pirates  were  a  constant  source  of  danger. 
Forty  or  fifty  men  composed  the  crew  of  a  barge.  They 
always  went  armed,  were  a  reckless,  pugnacious,  lawless 
set,  yet  always  faithful  in  their  care  of  the  cargo  intrusted 


106  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

to  them.  The  severe  labor  of  propelling  a  boat  upstream 
developed  extraordinary  strength  in  the  boatmen.  The 
fiddle  and  the  winding  horn  were  used  to  cheer  them. 

The  following  is  a  translation  of  part  of  a  bill  of  lading 
executed  May  18,  1741,  by  Barois,  a  notary  at  Kaskaskia: 
"And  it  has  been  further  agreed  that  said  Mettazer  prom- 
ises to  deliver  to  said  Bienvena,  at  the  landing  place  at  this 
town  Kaskaskia,  at  his  own  risk,  the  fortunes  of  war 
excepted,  an  iron  kettle,  weighing  about  290  pounds,  used 
for  the  manufacture  of  salt,  and  which  said  Bienvena  owns 
in  New  Orleans,  and  said  Bienvena  promises  to  pay  to 
said  Mettazer  for  his  salary  and  freight,  after  the  delivery 
of  the  said  kettle,  a  steer  in  good  order,  three  bushels  of 
salt,  two  hundred  pounds  of  bacon,  and  twenty  bushels  of 
Indian  corn." 

It  can  be  imagined  what  a  boon  the  introduction  of  the 
steamboat  was.  By  1830  steamboats  were  plentiful  on 
the  upper  Mississippi,  and  after  1826  they  appeared  on  the 
Illinois  River.  There  is  no  more  picturesque  feature  in  our 
history  than  life  on  the  Mississippi.  The  arrival  or  de- 
parture of  a  boat  was  an  important  event  in  the  river  towns 
of  the  early  day.  A  desire  to  race  with  other  boats  seemed 
to  possess  all,  from  captain  and  pilot,  down  to  deck  hands. 
Many  are  the  stories  told  of  the  dangers  faced  in  order  to 
forge  ahead  of  other  boats;  many  a  boat  went  to  the  bottom 
and  many  a  life  was  lost.  The  responsibility  of  the  pilot 
was  great  in  those  days,  for  the  river  had  not  been  im- 
proved by  the  government  as  it  is  now,  and  there  were 
no  beacon  lights  on  shore  to  guide  the  boats.  A  mania  for 


STEAMBOATS  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI 


107 


gambling  was  prevalent  on  the  steamboats,   passengers 
sometimes  staying  up  all  night  to  play  cards. 

At  first  the  commerce  on  the  upper  Mississippi  was  lim- 
ited to  carrying  supplies  to  the  miners  at  Galena  and 
bringing  the  lead  down  to  St.  Louis.  Both  freight  and 
passenger  traffic  increased  until  the  Civil  War  broke  out. 
The  railroads  with  their  greater  conveniences  were  danger- 


EARLY  STEAMBOAT  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

ous  competitors,  and  river  traffic  became  of  less  and  less 
importance  as  railroads  increased.  Many  rafts  of  logs  are 
still  sent  down  the  river.  Much  freight  is  still  carried  on 
the  lakes  and  rivers,  and  many  people  bent  on  pleasure 
still  take  the  steamboat. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  introduction  of  the  steamboat 


108  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

upon  the  Western  waters  contributed  more  than  any  other 
cause  to  the  prosperity  of  the  West  and  its  rapid  growth 
in  population.  Travel  became  safer  and  easier.  Commerce 
came  with  the  steamboat  and  the  railroad,  and  mining  and 
agriculture  received  a  great  impetus. 


XXII.    THE  ANIMALS  OF  ILLINOIS 

In  a  description  of  the  state  in  1837  a  writer  of  that 
time  says  of  the  animals  of  Illinois:1  "The  principal  and 
most  numerous  are  deer,  wolves,  raccoons,  opossums. 
Several  species  formerly  common  have  become  scarce, 
and  some  are  no  longer  found.  The  buffalo  has  entirely 
left  the  limits  of  the  state.  This  animal  once  roamed  at 
large  over  the  plains  of  Illinois  and  so  late  as  the  commence- 
ment of  the  present  [nineteenth]  century  was  found  in 
considerable  numbers.  .  .  . 

"  Deer  are  more  abundant  than  at  the  first  settlement  of 
the  country.  They  increase  to  a  certain  extent  with  the 
population.  The  reason  of  this  appears  to  be  that  they 
find  protection  in  the  neighborhood  of  man  from  the  beasts 
of  prey  that  assail  them  in  the  wilderness  and  from  whose 
attacks  their  young  particularly  can  with  difficulty  escape. 
They  suffer  most  from  the  wolves  who  hunt  in  packs  like 
hounds  and  who  seldom  give  up  the  chase  until  the  deer  is 
taken.  Immense  numbers  of  deer  are  killed  every  year  by 
the  hunters,  who  take  them  for  the  hams  and  skins  alone, 
throwing  away  the  rest  of  the  carcass.  Venison  hams  and 
hides  are  important  articles  of  export.  Fresh  hams  usually 
sell  at  from  75  cents  to  $1.50  a  pair,  and  when  properly 
cured  are  a  delicious  article  of  food.  Many  of  the  frontier 

1  Adapted  from  Mitchell's  Illinois  in  1837. 
109 


110  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

people  dress  deerskins  and  make  them  into  pantaloons  and 
hunting  shirts.  .  .  .  It  is  a  novel  and  pleasant  sight 
for  the  stranger  to  see  the  deer  in  flocks  feeding  on  the 
prairies  or  bounding  away  at  the  sight  of  the  traveler. 

"The  elk  has  [nearly]  disappeared.  A  few  have  been 
seen  in  late  years  and  some  have  been  taken.  The  bear  is 
seldom  seen.  This  animal  inhabits  those  parts  of  the 
country  that  are  thickly  wooded  and  delights  particularly 
in  the  canebrakes,  where  it  feeds  in  winter  on  the  tender 
shoots  of  the  young  corn.  The  meat  is  tender  and  finely 
flavored  and  is  esteemed  a  great  delicacy. 

"  Wolves  are  numerous  in  most  parts  of  the  state.  There 
are  two  kinds, — the  common  or  black  wolf,  and  the 
prairie  wolf.  The  former  is  a  large,  fierce  animal,  and  very 
destructive  to  sheep,  pigs,  calves,  poultry,  and  even  young 
colts.  They  hunt  in  packs,  and  after  using  every  strata- 
gem to  circumvent  their  prey  they  attack  it  with  remark- 
able ferocity.  Like  the  Indian  they  always  endeavor  to 
surprise  their  victim  and  strike  the  mortal  blow  without  ex- 
posing themselves  to  danger.  They  seldom  attack  man  ex- 
cept when  he  is  asleep  or  wounded.  .  .  .  When  tempted 
by  hunger  they  approach  the  farmhouses  in  the  night,  and 
snatch  their  prey  from  under  the  very  eye  of  the  farmer, 
and  when  the  latter  is  absent  with  his  dogs  the  Wolf  is 
sometimes  seen  by  the  females  lurking  about  in  midday, 
as  if  aware  of  the  unprotected  state  of  the  family. 

"The  prairie  wolf  is  smaller,  of  a  very  light  red.  It 
takes  its  name  from  its  habit  of  residing  entirely  upon  the 
open  plains.  Even  when  hunted  with  dogs  it  will  make 


THE  ANIMALS  OF  ILLINOIS  111 

circuit  after  circuit  round  the  prairie  carefully  avoiding  the 
forest,  or  only  dashing  into  it  occasionally  when  hard 
pressed  and  then  returning  to  the  plain. 

"The  fox  abounds  in  some  places  in  great  numbers, 
though  generally  speaking  is  scarce.  The  panther  and  wild 
cat  are  occasionally  found  in  the  forest,  the  open  country 
not  being  well  suited  to  their  shy  habits.  The  beaver  and 
otter  were  once  numerous  but  are  now  seldom  seen  except 
on  the  frontiers.  There  are  no  rats  except  along  the  large 
rivers  where  they  have  landed  from  the  boats. " 

Gray  and  fox  squirrels,  gophers,  rabbits,  prairie  chickens, 
and  quail  were  very  numerous.  Quail  were  taken  by  nets, 
hundreds  in  a  day,  Grouse  and  wild  turkey  were  found. 
The  ponds,  lakes,  and  rivers  in  the  spring  and  autumn  were 
covered  with  swans,  pelicans,  cranes,  geese,  brants,  and 
ducks  of  all  varieties.  Rattlesnakes  and  other  large  snakes 
were  common. 

1  M 


XXIII.  ADMINISTRATION  OF  DUNCAN  (1834-1838) 

In  1834  Joseph  Duncan  became  governor.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  he  had  been  elected  to  Congress  instead  of 
Daniel  P.  Cook,  because  he  was  a  Jackson  man.  But  like 
Cook,  he  also  came  to  oppose  Jackson.  The  people  did  not 
know  this,  since  he  was  absent  at  Washington  during  the 
campaign,  or  perhaps  they  would  not  have  voted  for  him 
for  governor. 

It  was  during  his  administration  that  the  State  Internal 
Improvement  System  was  launched,  which  later  on  threat- 
ened the  state  with  financial  ruin.  There  was  a  widespread 
desire  to  have  more  people  settle  in  Illinois,  so  as  to  develop 
its  resources,  build  up  towns,  and  enhance  the  price  of 
property.  It  was  thought  that  new  settlers  could  be 
attracted,  and  the  interior  brought  within  range  of  markets, 
by  a  general  system  of  internal  improvements  based  on  the 
faith  and  credit  of  the  state.  This  plan  found  favor  with 
the  people,  and  the  members  of  the  general  assembly  vied 
with  one  another  to  push  it  forward. 

The  legislature  of  1837  voted  over  $10,000,000  in  bonds 
for  the  improvement  of  the  state,  and  later  on  still  more 
bonds  were  authorized.  It  was  planned  to  complete  the 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  connecting  Lake  Michigan 
and  the  Illinois  River.  This  project  had  been  agitated 
since  1818,  and  Congress  had  made  liberal  grants  of  land 

112 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  DUNCAN  (1834-1838)  113 

for  the  purpose.  The  legislature  also  planned  a  system, 
almost  a  "network,"  of  railroads  for  the  state.  Among 
these  were  the  Illinois  Central,  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio  to  Galena;  the  Southern  Cross  Railroad,  from  Alton 
to  Mount  Carmel;  and  the  Northern  Cross,  from  Quincy 
to  the  Indiana  line.  Then,  too,  the  rivers  were  to  be  im- 
proved and  made  more  navigable;  among  others  the  Wa- 
bash,  the  Little  Wabash,  the  Illinois,  the  Rock,  and  the 
Kaskaskia.  And,  as  if  to  satisfy  all,  $200,000  was  to  be 
distributed  among  those  counties  through  which  neither 
railroads  nor  other  improvements  were  to  be  projected. 

The  expenditure  of  these  large  sums  started  an  era  of 
speculation  the  like  of  which  the  state  has  not  known  since. 
People  went  wild  with  excitement.  Towns  sprang  up  in 
a  night  and  cities  in  a  day,  but  they  were  all  on  paper. 
Corner  lots  in  cities  destined  to  become  metropolises  were 
sold  at  high  prices.  This  craze  proved  a  boon  to  Chicago, 
and  the  subsequent  hard  times  did  not  injure  that  city  as 
it  did  the  rest  of  the  state.  Chicago  grew  very  rapidly  and 
became  the  center  of  speculation  and  the  market  for  land 
in  all  the  region  roundabout.  Many  people  in  the  East  were 
seized  with  the  desire  to  speculate  in  Illinois  lands.  The 
tide  of  immigration  poured  into  the  state  like  a  torrent. 
Every  steamboat  on  the  lakes  and  rivers  was  crowded 
with  passengers  coming  to  settle  here  or  to  share  in  the 
prospective  fortunes. 

It  was  during  Governor  Duncan's  term  of  office  that 
Elijah  P.  Lovejoy  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  a  mob 
in  Alton.  From  1833  he  had  edited  a  religious  newspaper 

Illinois — 8 


114  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

at  St.  Louis,  but  his  editorials  on  the  subject  of  slavery 
created 'such  a  stir  in  that  city  that  in  order  to  save  his 
printing  press  from  being  demolished  he  found  it  necessary 
to  ship  it  to  Alton.  The  press  arrived  in  Alton  July  21, 
1836.  That  night  a  number  of  persons  visited  the  wharf, 
broke  the  press  to  pieces,  and  threw  it  into  the  river.  The 
next  evening  a  meeting  was  held  in  one  of  the  churches,  and 
as  a  result  another  press  was  sent  for  and  Lovejoy  started 
the  Alton  Observer. 

At  this  time  Lovejoy  was  not  an  abolitionist;  but,  as 
he  said,  he  was  opposed  to  slavery  and  hoped  he  always 
should  be.  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  be  silent  on  so 
absorbing  a  question,  and  by  and  by  he  began  to  urge  the 
formation  of  an  antislavery  society  for  the  state  of  Illinois. 
In  an  editorial  of  July  4th,  1837,  he  called  attention  to 
the  fact  that  while  the  people  were  rejoicing  in  their  free- 
dom they  were  holding  in  bondage  nearly  three  million 
slaves. 

Alton  at  that  time  was  a  rival  of  St.  Louis  and  was 
striving  to  make  itself  the  chief  city  of  the  West.  Many 
of  its  citizens  were  very  angry  with  Lovejoy  for  coming  to 
Alton  and  publishing  his  antislavery  doctrines  there,  for, 
said  they,  he  would  give  the  place  a  bad  name  among 
slavery  men  and  would  keep  many  of  them  from  coming 
there  to  live.  Many  Southern  sympathizers,  after  reading 
the  editorial  of  Independence  Day,  met  in  the  market 
house  and  appointed  a  committee  to  inform  Lovejoy  that 
he  must  cease  agitating  the  question.  But  the  editor 
replied  that  he  had  the  right  of  free  speech,  and  at  the 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  DUNCAN   (1834-1838)  115 

same  time  tendered  them  the  use  of  his  paper  to  refute  his 
opinions  if  they  were  wrong.  But  they  chose  another  way 
of  silencing  him.  On  the  night  of  August  25  a  mob  assaulted 
the  office  of  the  Observer  and  completely  demolished  the 
press. 

Another  press  was  sent  for,  but  it  was  thrown  into  the 
river.  Then  his  friends  sent  for  a'fourth  press  and  it  was  in 
connection  with  this  that  he  lost  his  life.  When  it  arrived, 
November  7,  1837,  it  was  stored  in  a  stone  warehouse 
where  Lovejoy  and  his  friends,  under  the  authority  of  the 
mayor,  assembled  in  arms  to  guard  it.  No  police  protection 
was  afforded  them.  When  night  came  a  mob  of  drunken 
ruffians  attacked  the  building;  Lovejoy  and  his  companions 
returned  their  fire  and  killed  one  of  them. 

The  mob  retired  to  strengthen  their  forces.  The  bells  of 
the  city  were  rung,  horns  were  blown,  and  soon  an  excited 
multitude  gathered  about  the  warehouse,  some  trying  to 
restore  order,  others  urging  on  the  mob.  Ladders  were 
placed  against  the  building  and  several  ascended  to  fire  the 
roof,  but  were  driven  away  by  the  guns  of  those  within. 
Lovejoy  and  one  or  two  friends,  not  seeing  any  one  about 
the  south  side  of  the  building,  stepped  out  to  look  after 
the  roof.  Concealed  assassins  fired  upon  him  and  he  fell 
with  five  shots  in  his  body. 

When  he  expired  his  companions  surrendered  the  press  to 
the  mob,  who  broke  it  to  pieces.  The  next  day  a  grave  was 
dug  on  a  high  bluff  and  without  any  ceremony  the  body 
was  thrown  in  and  covered  up.  But  even  death  did  not 
silence  this  first  martyr  to  the  cause  of  abolition.  His 


116 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


death  and  the  violation  of  the  right  of  free  speech  attracted 
much  attention  all  over  the  country  and  aroused  the  people 
to  the  evils  of  slavery  as  nothing  had  done  before.  The 
limit  of  endurance  had  been  reached.  The  tide  turned. 
Public  opinion  in  New  England  began  to  change  in  favor 
of  abolition.  A  meeting  was  held  in  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston, 


THE  CAPITOL  AT  SPRINGFIELD 

at  which  Wendell  Phillips  delivered  his  famous  speech  on 
Love  joy. 

By  this  time  there  was  need  of  a  new  statehouse,  and  of 
course  many  places  tried  to  secure  the  honor  of  being  the 
capital.  Sangamon  County,  at  that  time  the  most  populous 
county  in  the  state,  was  represented  in  the  general  assem- 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  DUNCAN  (1834-1838)  117 

bly  by  nine  members,  called,  because  of  their  height,  the 
Long  Nine.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  one  of  them.  By 
trading  votes  on  other  measures,  particularly  on  the  Inter- 
nal Improvement  System, — in  other  words,  by  "logroll- 
ing,"— this  delegation  secured  the  removal  of  the  capital 
from  Vandalia  to  Springfield.  On  February  8,  1837,  the 
two  houses  met  and  chose  Springfield  as  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment. 

Springfield  was  at  this  time  a  town  of  about  1,000  popu- 
lation. On  July  4th,  1837,  the  corner  stone  of  the  new 
capitol  was  laid.  It  was  completed  sixteen  years  after  at 
a  total  cost  of  $260,000.  This  building,  now  the  courthouse 
of  Sangamon  County,  was  at  the  time  of  its  erection  the 
architectural  wonder  of  the  state,  and  was  supposed  to  be 
ample  enough  for  a  long  time  to  come.  But  in  less  than 
twenty-five  years  there  was  a  demand  for  a  new  structure, 
as  a  result  of  which  the  present  magnificent  capitol  was 
erected. 


XXIV.    HARD  TIMES 

Duncan's  successor  as  governor  was  Thomas  Carlin 
(1838-42).  After  Carlin  had  been  governor  about  a  year 
he  saw  the  folly  of  the  Internal  Improvement  System,  and 
with  others  realized  that  the  state  had  attempted  more 
than  it  could  accomplish.  A  special  session  of  the  same 
legislature  that  passed  the  bill  ordered  work  stopped  on  all 
the  improvements  except  the  canal,  which  was  continued 
to  completion.  For  years  after,  excavations  and  embank- 
ments for  railroads  could  be  seen  in  various  parts  of  the 
state — monuments  of  the  Internal  Improvement  System. 

Hard  times  followed.  Crops  were  poor.  Banks  failed. 
The  people  were  badly  in  debt.  Stagnation  of  business 
prevailed.  The  state  was  nearly  bankrupt — it  had  bor- 
rowed itself  out  of  all  credit.  The  name  of  Illinois  became 
associated  with  dishonesty.  Emigrants  gave  it  a  wide 
berth.  The  people  here  were  anxious  to  sell  out  and  leave. 

The  state  debt  amounted  to  over  $14,000,000,  and  the 
population  was  only  about  476,000.  The  annual  revenues 
were  no  more  than  would  meet  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the 
government.  Finally,  it  came  to  pass  that  no  attempt  was 
made  to  pay  even  the  interest  on  the  state  debt.  The  people 
were  unable  and  unwilling  to  pay  higher  taxes,  and  many 
were  in  favor  of  repudiating  the  debt. 

But  happily  at  this  time  Thomas  Ford  came  to  the 

118 


HARD  TIMES  119 

governor's  chair  (1842).  In  his  inaugural  message  he 
said:  "Let  it  be  known  in  the  first  place  that  no  oppressive 
and  exterminating  taxation  is  to  be  resorted  to;  in  the 
second,  we  must  convince  our  creditors  and  the  world  that 
the  disgrace  of  repudiation  is  not  countenanced  among  us — 
that  we  are  honest  and  mean  to  pay  as  soon  as  we  are  able." 
And  he  set  about  to  pay  off  the  debt.  A  heavier  taxation 
was  voted,  state  lands  were  sold,  the  rate  of  interest  was 
lowered  to  six  per  cent.,  ordinary  expenses  of  the  govern- 
ment were  reduced,  so  that  by  these  and  other  measures 
the  debt  was  reduced  during  his  administration  to  about 
$6,000,000.  Confidence  in  the  prospects  of  the  state  was 
restored.  The  tide  of  immigration  came  in  again,  and  the 
year  1845  marks  the  beginning  of  Illinois 's  unabated 
prosperity. 

The  administration  of  Ford  (1842-46)  was  a  very  stormy 
one.  It  was  while  he  was  governor  that  the  trouble  with 
the  Mormons  took  place  and  the  Mexican  War  began.  He 
left  the  executive  office  poorer  than  when  he  was  elected, 
and  his  last  days  were  clouded  by  poverty.  He  was  the 
author  of  a  history  of  Illinois  from  1818  to  1847.  The  state 
was  very  fortunate  in  having  him  for  governor;  for  it  was 
largely  due  to  his  efforts  that  Illinois  passed  its  financial 
crisis  without  compromising  its  dignity  and  honor. 

When  the  war  with  Mexico  broke  out,  requisition  was 
made  upon  Illinois  for  three  regiments  of  infantry,  but  so 
prompt  and  overwhelming  was  the  response  to  Governor 
Ford's  call  that  the  Secretary  of  War  gave  permission  for  an 
additional  regiment  from  Illinois,  The  death  rate  among 


120  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  Illinois  troops  was  exceptionally  heavy,  both  from 
disease  and  from  hard  service.  The  first  and  second  regi- 
ments participated  in  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Buena 
Vista,  which  lasted  the  whole  day,  February  23,  1847,  and 
in  which  the  American  army  of  5,400  was  opposed  by 
20,000  Mexicans  under  Santa  Anna.  General  Taylor  said: 
"The  first  and  second  Illinois  and  the  Kentucky  regiments 
served  under  my  eye,  and  I  bear  a  willing  testimony  to  their 
excellent  conduct  throughout  the  day.  The  spirit  and 
gallantry  with  which  the  first  Illinois  and  the  second  Ken- 
tucky engaged  the  enemy  in  the  morning  restored  confi- 
dence to  that  part  of  the  field,  while  the  list  of  casualties 
will  show  how  much  they  suffered  in  sustaining  the  heavy 
charge  of  the  enemy  in  the  afternoon."  The  third  and 
fourth  Illinois  were  in  the  movement  against  Vera  Cruz, 
the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  and  the  campaign  against  the 
City  of  Mexico.  Illinois  had  no  mean  part  in  gaining  the 
victory  from  Mexico. 


XXV.    THE  MORMONS 

Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  Mormonism,  illiterate  and 
of  doubtful  reputation,  about  1827  claimed  that  under  the 
direction  of  an  angel  he  had  discovered  in  New  York  state 
some  curious  golden  plates  covered  with  symbols  which 
he  was  able  to  read  by  aid  of  two  wonderful  stones. 
He  published  the  Book  of  Mormon  as  his  translation  of 
these  symbols.  Although  without  money,  education,  or 
respectability,  he  was  able  to  persuade  a  large  number  that 
he  was  a  prophet  of  God,  and  that  the  book,  which  was 
entirely  without  literary  or  religious  merit,  was  a  divine 
revelation.  He  and  his  followers  went  west  to  Missouri,  but 
their  conduct  brought  them  into  so  great  disrepute  that 
they  were  driven  from  the  state  by  the  governor's  orders. 

Many  of  them  now  came  to  Illinois,  where  they  found 
sympathy  as  a  persecuted  people.  The  politicians  also 
looked  upon  them  with  a  great  deal  of  favor,  for  the  Mor- 
mons invariably  voted  in  a  body.  Meeting  with  encourage- 
ment, the  Latter  Day  Saints,  as  they  called  themselves,  in 
1840  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  the  Mississippi  where 
there  was  a  small  town  called  Commerce,  which  they  re- 
named Nauvoo.  On  this  picturesque  site  a  costly  temple, 
a  hotel,  and  250  other  buildings  were  soon  in  the  course 
of  erection. 

In  return  for  Smith's  political  support,  the  Whigs  in  the 

121 


122  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

legislature  granted  him  a  special  charter  for  Nauvoo, 
which  gave  the  Mormons  almost  unlimited  power  and  con- 
trol in  their  new  city.  "The  city  council  shall  have  power 
and  authority  to  make,  establish,  and  execute,  all  such 
ordinances,  not  repugnant  to  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  or  of  this  state,  as  they  may  deem  necessary  to  the 
peace,  benefit,  good  order,  regulation,  convenience,  and 
cleanliness  of  said  city." 

So  wide  was  this  grant  that  the  Mormons  claimed  they 
could  pass  laws  under  it,  in  opposition  to  those  of  the 
Illinois  legislature.  They  even  asked  that  the  mayor  of-the 
city  be  given  power  to  call  in  and  use  the  United  States 
troops  whenever  he  should  feel  the  need  of  protection  for 
himself  or  his  followers.  Joseph  Smith  as  mayor  was  at 
once  the  executive,  the  judiciary,  and  the  legislature,  as 
well  as  the  head  of  the  church  and  priest  and  prophet. 
The  Nauvoo  Legion,  or  militia,  was  organized.  It  was  to 
do  the  bidding  of  Smith  and  was  under  no  state  control 
except  that  of  the  governor.  It  was  furnished  with  arms 
and  ammunition  by  the  state,  but  had  its  own  court-mar- 
tial. "Thus  it  was  proposed  to  reestablish  for  the  Mor- 
mons a  government  within  a  government,  a  legislature 
with  power  to  pass  ordinances  at  war  with  the  laws  of  the 
state,  courts  to  execute  them  with  little  dependence  upon 
the  constitutional  judiciary,  and  a  military  force  at  their 
own  command  to  be  governed  by  its  own  laws  and  ordi- 
nances. "  l 

In  1841  the  governor  of  Missouri  made  a  requisition  upon 

1  Ford :  History  of  Illinois, 


THE  MORMONS  123 

the  governor  of  Illinois  for  the  arrest  and  delivery  of 
Smith  and  several  other  prominent  Mormons  as  fugitives 
from  justice.  But  Smith  was  twice  released  from  arrest, 
chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Judge  Stephen  A. 
Douglas.  The  judge  was  a  Democrat,  and  because  of  this 
favor  to  them  the  Mormons  decided  to  vote  the  Democratic 
ticket  in  a  body.  Of  course  this  angered  the  Whigs. 

The  Mormons  were  becoming  unpopular  in  Illinois,  and 
were  charged  with  all  sorts  of  crimes.  After  the  release  of 
Smith  they  became  very  bold  and  overbearing.  There 
were  about  16,000  of  them  in  Hancock  County,  and  several 
thousand  more  were  scattered  in  other  counties.  Setting 
the  state  at  defiance,  they  were  said  to  be  contemplating 
the  overthrow  of  the  government  when  they  became  strong 
enough.  In  the  winter  of  1843-44  the  council  of  Nauvoo 
passed  a  law  that  no  writ  issued  from  any  other  place  than 
Nauvoo  for  any  person  in  it  should  be  executed  without  the 
approval  of  the  mayor.  Any  person  by  virtue  of  a  foreign 
writ,  attempting  to  make  an  arrest  in  the  city  without  the 
approval  of  the  mayor,  should  be  subject  to  arrest  and  im- 
prisonment for  life;  and  the  governor  of  the  state  should  not 
have  the  power  of  pardoning  such  an  offender  without  the 
consent  of  the  mayor.  The  Mormons  even  went  so  far  as 
to  petition  Congress  to  establish  a  territorial  government 
for  them  at  Nauvoo,  although  of  course  Congress  had  no 
power  to  establish  any  such  government  within  the  limits 
of  a  state. 

In  the  spring  of  1844  Smith  announced  himself  a  candi- 
date for  President  of  the  United  States,  and  his  followers 


124  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

went  out  over  the  country  to  preach  his  religion  and  to 
"electioneer"  for  him  as  well.  This  brought  them  into 
conflict  with  the  political  parties,  and  they  had  already 
gained  the  enmity  of  the  religious  organizations.  About 
this  time  Smith  conceived  the  idea  of  making  himself  a 
temporal  prince.  He  instituted  a  new  order  of  priests  who 
were  to  be  his  nobles.  He  denounced  the  United  States 
government  as  utterly  corrupt  and  about  to  pass  away  and 
give  place  to  his  rule.  The  Danite  Band,  a  bodyguard,  was 
to  do  his  bidding,  right  or  wrong,  and  his  orders  were  to  be 
to  them  as  the  commands  of  God  Himself. 

About  this  time,  also,  Smith  introduced  the  practice  of 
polygamy.  To  uphold  it,  he  set  forth  the  doctrine  of  spirit- 
ual wives.  According  to  this  no  woman  could  enter  heaven 
except  as  the  wife  of  a  Mormon  elder.  The  elders  were 
allowed  as  many  wives  as  they  wished,  and  any  woman 
could  be  sealed  to  eternal  life  by  uniting  herself  to  the  elder 
of  her  choice.  Of  course  this  outraged  the  decency  of  the 
commonwealth,  and  meetings  were  held  to  demand  the 
expulsion  of  the  Mormons  from  the  state. 

Troubles  within  the  Mormon  camp  itself  brought  matters 
to  a  head.  By  his  tyrannical  measures  Smith  had  alienated 
several  leading  Mormons.  To  expose  him  they  started  a 
newspaper  and  had  issued  one  number  when  his  followers 
destroyed  the  press  and  the  private  property  of  the  editors. 
The  editors  went  to  Carthage  and  took  out  a  warrant  for 
the  arrest  of  Smith  and  his  henchmen  on  the  charge  of  riot. 
Excitement  ran  high.  Posses  were  summoned. 

Governor  Ford  came  to  Carthage,  where  a  large  crowd  had 


THE  MORMONS  125 

assembled,  eager  to  march  against  Nauvoo.  Smith  estab- 
lished martial  law  at  Nauvoo  and  called  out  the  Legion. 
The  governor  notified  the  Mormons  that  they  had  endan- 
gered the  liberty  of  the  press,  and  demanded  the  surrender 
of  the  guilty  ones,  threatening  to  call  out  the  whole  state 
force  to  compel  their  submission  to  the  law.  Joseph  and 
Hyrum  Smith  came  to  Carthage  and  gave  themselves  up. 
They  were  put  in  jail  on  a  charge  of  treason. 

A  force  of  twelve  or  thirteen  hundred  men  had  gathered 
at  Carthage,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  governor 
prevented  them  from  beginning  actual  warfare  upon  the 
Latter  Day  Saints.  He  himself  with  a  guard  of  several 
companies  of  militia  went  to  Nauvoo  and  remonstrated 
with  the  Mormons  for  their  unlawful  conduct.  On  his  way 
back  to  Carthage  he  was  informed  that  the  jail  had  been 
mobbed  and  the  Smiths  killed,  June  27,  1844. 

Government  came  to  an  end  in  the  surrounding  country. 
Bands  of  Mormons  and  anti-Mormons  scoured  the  country 
and  came  into  frequent  collisions.  A  mob  burned  a  small 
Mormon  town,  and  to  retaliate  the  Mormon  sheriff  with 
several  hundred  men  took  possession  of  Carthage.  Murder 
was  committed  on  both  sides.  The  governor  proclaimed 
martial  law;  and  as  the  people  would  never  be  satisfied  until 
the  disturbers  were  gone,  he  finally  prevailed  upon  the  Mor- 
mons to  leave  the  state.  In  the  spring  of  1846  the  majority 
of  them  crossed  the  river  and  began  their  march  to  Great 
Salt  Lake.  A  band  of  their  foes  marched  against  those  that 
remained,  and  after  a  pitched  battle  drove  them  from  Illi- 
nois. Thus  was  closed  a  turbulent  chapter  of  state  history. 


XXVI.    CONSTITUTION  OF  1848;  FRENCH'S  ADMIN- 
ISTRATION (1846-1853) 

Every  year  the  need  of  a  new  constitution  became  more 
evident.  In  1844  the  legislature  passed  a  resolution  recom- 
mending that  the  people  at  the  next  general  election,  in 
August,  1846,  vote  for  or  against  a  constitutional  conven- 
tion. The  proposition  was  carried,  and  the  convention 
met  June  7,  1847.  No  one  was  satisfied  with  the  constitu- 
tion it  made,  but  all  felt  that  the  new  instrument  was 
better  than  the  old  one.  It  went  into  effect  in  April,  1848. 

The  new  constitution  required  that  a  person  should 
reside  in  the  state  for  one  year  before  he  could  vote.  It 
provided  that  all  state  and  county  offices  should  be  filled 
by  popular  election,  and  thus  deprived  the  legislature  of 
filling  about  200  offices. 

Profiting  by  the  bitter  experience  with  the  Internal 
Improvement  System  and  the  enormous  debt  then  pressing 
heavily  upon  the  people,  the  new  constitution  forbade  the 
legislature  to  contract  any  debt  exceeding  $50,000.  Extra 
taxation  was  provided  for  to  pay  off  the  state  debt.  The 
legislature  was  required  to  encourage  public  improvements 
by  passing  liberal  incorporation  laws.  Negro  immigration 
was  prohibited. 

But  the  chief  peculiarity  of  the  new  constitution  was  its 
principle  of  rigid  economy.  This  it  carried  too  far.  The 


CONSTITUTION  OF  1848  .    127 

salary  of  the  governor  was  fixed  at  $1,500  a  year;  supreme 
court  judges,  $1,200;  circuit  judges,  $1,000;  treasurer,  and 
secretary  of  state,  $800  each;  members  of  the  general  as- 
sembly, $2  a  day  for  the  first  42  days'  attendance,  and  $1  a 
day  thereafter.  This  economy  in  salaries  was  evaded  later 
on  by  special  grants  or  gifts  to  these  officers.  For  instance, 
after  1861  the  legislature  yearly  appropriated  $4,500  to  the 
governor  to  be  used  or  not  as  he  saw  fit  in  hiring  a  gardener 
to  take  charge  of  the  grounds  surrounding  the  executive 
mansion.  Sometimes  the  pay  of  the  legislators  amounted  to 
$20  a  day  instead  of  $2,  the  increase  being  voted  under  the 
head  of  traveling  expenses,  stationery,  etc. 

Augustus  C.  French  was  the  first  Yankee  to  fill  the  guber- 
natorial chair,  and  the  first  person  to  serve  as  governor  of 
the  state  for  two  consecutive  terms.  His  term  was  not  half 
out  when  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of  1848  made  an 
election  necessary,  and  without  much  opposition  he  was  re- 
elected  for  four  years.  He  conducted  the  affairs  of  the 
state  with  great  economy  and  honesty;  he  had  much  to  do 
with  saving  the  credit  of  the  state  and  bringing  it  out  of  its 
bankrupt  condition.  He  lived  with  much  frugality  on  the 
simple  salary  the  constitution  provided.  Congress  aided 
Illinois  in  her  pecuniary  embarrassment  by  permitting  the 
government  lands  to  be  subject  to  taxation  immediately 
after  their  sale  instead  of  five  years  after,  as  was  customary. 
In  1850,  for  the  first  time  since  1839,  the  state  revenue  was 
sufficient  to  meet  the  current  demands  upon  the  treasury. 

At  this  time,  1850,  Chicago  had  only  29,963  inhabitants; 
Quincy,  6,902;  and  Galena  and  Peoria  about  the  same  as 


128  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Quincy.  There  were  but  five  daily  newspapers  in  the  state 
and  only  two  benevolent  state  institutions  had  been 
established.  The  farmer  still  used  the  old-fashioned  wooden 
plows,  planted  his  corn  by  hand,  gathered  his  grain  by 
sickle  or  cradle,  thrashed  by  flail  or  horse  powrer,  and  win- 
nowed by  hand. 


XXVII.    THE  COMMON  SCHOOL  SYSTEM 

The  Ordinance  of  1787  had  declared  that  since  religion 
and  morality  are  necessary  to  the  good  government  and 
happiness  of  mankind,  schools  and  the  means  of  education 
should  forever  be  encouraged  in  the  Northwest  Territory. 
To  this  end  Congress  in  the  enabling  act  of  Illinois,  April 
18,  1818,  appropriated  for  the  encouragement  of  learning 
and  school  purposes  the  sixteenth  section  of  every  town- 
ship, amounting  to  998,448  acres  in  all.  After  January  1, 
1819,  three  per  cent,  of  the  net  proceeds  from  the  sale  of 
public  lands  in  Illinois  was  to  be  given  to  the  state  for 
education,  and  a  certain  part  thereof  was  to  be  devoted  to 
a  college  or  university.  Two  townships  besides  were  given 
for  the  founding  and  support  of  a  seminary  of  learning. 
It  will  be  'remembered  that  this  magnificent  gift  of  the 
nation  for  the  highest  of  purposes  was  in  great  part  squan- 
dered. Fearing  to  tax  the  people  even  to  pay  the  current 
expenses  of  the  state  government,  the  legislature  as  early 
as  1828  unfortunately  authorized  the  sale  of  these  school 
lands  at  a  very  low  price,  and  then  borrowed  the  proceeds. 

A  public  school  law  based  on  taxation  was  passed  in 
1825.  But  as  the  people  chose  rather  to  do  without  educa- 
tion for  their  children  than  to  submit  to  the  necessary 
taxation,  the  legislature  of  1829  nullified  the  law.  There 
were  repeated  attempts  to  establish  a  public  school  system, 

Illinois— 9  129 


130  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

but  nothing  could  be  accomplished  without  taxing  the 
people  to  support  it. 

A  law  was  passed  in  1849  requiring  the  secretary  of  state 
to  assume  the  additional  duties  of  superintendent  of  public 
instruction.  The  same  year  a  law  was  passed  requiring  as 
a  qualification  for  teaching,  a  knowledge  of  reading,  writing, 
arithmetic,  geography,  English  grammar,  and  American 
history.  But  this  proved  so  high  a  standard  that  it  de- 
prived many  districts  of  teachers  altogether,  and  the  law 
had  to  be  repealed.  Yet  at  this  time  schools  in  some  of 
the  northern  counties,  Cook  in  particular,  were  in  fair  con- 
dition. 

It  was  a  problem  how  to  arouse  the  people  to  the  impor- 
tance of  education.  After  a  while  the  rapid  increase  in 
population  and  wealth  did  away  with  the  popular  dislike  of 
taxation.  In  some  parts  of  the  state  the  question  of  public 
schools  began  to  be  agitated,  and  the  press  began  to  discuss 
the  subject  in  earnest.  In  1853  several  conventions  in 
the  interest  of  education  were  held  in  the  state,  and  they 
were  not  without  results. 

Governor  Matteson  (1853-57)  in  his  inaugural  message 
recommended  the  adoption  of  a  free  school  system,  or  if 
that  should  be  thought  premature,  the  appointment  of 
a  general  superintendent  of  schools.  The  legislature  which 
met  in  1854  established  the  office  of  superintendent  of  pub- 
lic schools  as  a  separate  and  distinct  department.  Governor 
Matteson  appointed  Ninian  W.  Edwards  the  first  superin- 
tendent. 

Edwards  drafted  a  bill,  which  became  a  law  in  1855, 


THE  COMMON  SCHOOL  SYSTEM  131 

providing  that  the  public  schools  of  the  state  should  be 
supported  by  taxing  the  people.  This  law  marked  a  turning 
point  in  the  history  of  education  in  Illinois.  The  present 
school  law  is  essentially  that  of  1855. 

School  attendance  now  grew  rapidly.  The  wages  of 
teachers  soo'n  doubled.  To  educate  teachers  and  to  obtain 
uniformity  in  modes  of  teaching,  the  legislature  in  1857 
established  the  State  Normal  School  near  Bloomington. 
Its  first  principal  was  C.  E.  Hovey,  later  a  distinguished 
officer  in  the  Union  Army,  and  the  father  of  Illinois's 
greatest  native  poet,  Richard  Hovey. 


XXVIII.    RAILROADS 

Of  all  the  railroads  planned  in  1836  only  a  portion  of  the 
Northern  Cross,  from  Meredosia  to  Springfield,  was  com- 
pleted. When  on  November  8,  1838 — only  12  years  after 
the  first  road  in  the  United  States  was  operated — a 
locomotive  ran  over  this  road,  it  was  the  first  to  turn  a 
wheel  in  the  great  Mississippi  valley.  But  between  1838 
and  1850  railroad  building  was  practically  at  a  standstill 
in  Illinois. 

This  was  due  to  a  lack  of  money,  and  to  what  is  known  as 
"the  State  Policy."  For  some  years  prior  to  1850  the 
people  of  Illinois  would  not  permit  the  building  of  railroads 
within  the  limits  of  the  state  unless  the  terminal  points 
were  fixed  within  the  state.  The  object  of  this  narrow 
policy  was  to  build  up  the  cities  and  commercial  interests 
of  the  state  and  to  prevent  the  railroads  from  contributing 
to  the  commerce  and  wealth  of  outside  cities.  This  policy 
was  especially  directed  against  St.  Louis,  and  the  influence 
of  Alton — eager  to  prevent  the  growth  of  her  rival — had 
much  to  do  with  causing  the  legislature  to  take  this  posi- 
tion. 

^Vlt  was  soon  seen  that  the  state  policy  was  damaging  the 

;  best  interests  of  the  state.    'The  people  whose  best  and 

nearest  market  was  St.  Louis  petitioned  the  legislature  to 

grant  charters  to  railroads  that  would  run  across  the  state 

132 


RAILROADS  133 

and  terminate  at  a  point  opposite  St.  Louis,  but  they  were 
refused.  The  press  of  the  country  began  to  ridicule  the 
position  of  Illinois  as  selfish.  Finally,  the  people  saw  that 
they  were  standing  in  their  own  light.  Stephen  A.  Douglas 
did  much  to  break  down  the  policy  by  advancing  the 
argument  that  the  interests  of  large  agricultural  districts 
ought  not  to  suffer  for  the  sake  of  a  few  towns.  An  extra 
session  of  the  legislature,  in  1854,  reversed  the  state  policy 
after  it  had  greatly  hindered  and  retarded  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  southern  portion  of  the  state. 

It  had  long  been  desired  to  connect  Lake  Michigan  by 
railroad  with  Cairo,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  rivers.  But  the  plan  lacked  vitality  until  an 
Act  of  Congress,  September,  1850,  granted  for  such  a  rail- 
road a  right  of  way  200  feet  wide  through  the  public  lands 
of  Illinois  from  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Illinois  and 
Michigan  Canal  to  Cairo,  and  also  for  branches  to  Chicago 
and  Galena.  For  the  construction  of  the  road  the  govern- 
ment donated  the  alternate  sections,  designated  by  even 
numbers,  for  six  sections  deep  on  either  side  of  the  trunk 
and  its  branches — in  all  about  three  million  acres.  Work 
was  to  be  commenced  simultaneously  at  the  northern  and 
southern  terminuses;  and  if  the  road  were  not  completed 
in  ten  years,  the  lands  or  their  equivalent  in  money  was  to 
be  returned  to  the  Federal  government.  The  passage  of  this 
measure  was  hailed  with  great  joy  by  the  people  of  the 
state. 

The  building   of  this   railroad — the   Illinois  Central— 
immensely  benefited  the  state  by  opening  up  its  sparsely 


134  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

settled  interior  to  thronging  immigrants,  brought  more  of 
its  soil  into  cultivation,  increased  its  population,  and  soon 
augmented  its  resources  and  wealth  by  many  millions  of 
dollars.  It  was  one  of  the  chief  factors  in  the  rapid  growth 
of  Chicago.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the  great  railroad  era 
of  the  state.  In  1850  there  were  only  111  miles  of  railroad 
in  Illinois:  in  the  next  decade  Illinois  did  more  railroad 
building  than  any  other  state;  and  by  1870  it  had  come 
to  have  a  greater  railroad  mileage  than  any  other  state  in 
the  Union. 


XXIX.    THE  ABOLITIONISTS 

Although  in  1824  the  people  of  Illinois  had  voted  against 
its  becoming  a  slave  state,  yet  it  must  not  be  supposed  that 
even  all  of  those  who  were  most  desirous  of  keeping  it  a 
free  state  were  in  favor  of  the  immediate  abolition  of 
slavery  in  the  United  States.  Many  antislavery  men 
were  in  favor  of  the  gradual  extinction  of  the  institution, 
but  opposed  its  immediate  abolition  as  a  pernicious  policy 
full  of  grave  dangers.  After  Coles's  administration  discus- 
sion of  slavery  ceased  almost  altogether  in  the  state.  The 
majority  of  the  people,  especially  in  southern  Illinois,  were 
opposed  to  any  public  discussion  of  it  at  all,  preferring  that 
the  whole  question  be  left  quietly  alone.  But  the  aboli- 
tionists demanded  its  constant  agitation  until  the  slaves 
should  be  freed. 

The  hatred  against  the  abolitionists  was  as  bitter  in 
Illinois  as  in  any  other  Northern  state,  and  persecution 
was  the  lot  of  the  few  who,  dared  to  express  their  opinions. 
However,  on  October  28, 1837,  an  antislavery  convention  of 
55  delegates  met  in  Alton,  and  upheld  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy 
and  his  paper,  the  Observer,  published  in  that  city.  The 
subsequent  murder  of  this  man  by  an  anti-abolition  mob 
and  the  destruction  of  his  paper  did  more  for  the  cause  of 
abolition  than  any  number  of  speeches  or  books  could  have 
done.  In  1839  Benjamin  Lundy,  a  Quaker,  established 

135 


136  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

himself  at  Lowell,  Illinois,  for  the  purpose  of  printing  an- 
other abolition  paper,  called  The  Genius  of  Universal  Eman- 
cipation. Lundy  soon  died,  but  from  this  time  on,  with  the 
exception  of  short  intervals,  the  state  was  not  without  an 
abolition  paper. 

The  Illinois  Antislavery  Society  held  its  first  annual 
<  meeting  at  Farmington,  in  1838,  with  99  delegates  present. 
They  appointed  a  traveling  agent  to  proclaim  their  doc- 
trine throughout  the  state  and  to  organize  societies.  The 
churches  and  schoolhouses  were  often  closed  to  these  agents, 
and  mobs  often  disturbed  their  meetings.  In  1841  at  Gales- 
burg  the  first  antislavery  candidate  was  nominated  for 
Congress.  The  first  real  Liberty  state  convention  met  at 
Chicago  in  1842  with  100  delegates  present.  From  that 
time  on  Chicago  was  the  chief  center  of  the  antislavery 
party  in  Illinois,  and  abolition  itself  became  a  political 
movement  rather  than  a  moral  agitation.  Under  the 
leadership  of  such  men  as  Ichabod  Codding,  Owen  Love- 
joy,  and  Zebina  Eastman,  for  over  twenty  years  the  abo- 
litionists of  Illinois  denounced  slavery  as  a  sin  and  a 
disgrace. 

The  abolitionists  did  not  confine  themselves  to  agitation 
merely,  but  made  it  a  business  to  befriend  runaway  slaves 
and  help  them  escape.  This  they  did  by  means  of  the 
"Underground  Railroad,"  which  was  nothing  more  than  a 
series  of  communities  where  the  runaway  slaves  were 
reasonably  sure  of  finding  food  and  shelter  in  the  homes 
of  abolitionists.  Usually  when  a  slave-reached  one  of  these 
"stations,"  as  such  homes  were  called,  he  was  fed,  housed 


THE  ABOLITIONISTS  137 

for  a  short  time,  and  assisted  in  one  way  or  another  to 
reach  the  next  station.  The  utmost  secrecy  as  to  the 
location  of  these  stations  was  necessary,  both  to  facilitate 
the  escape  of  the  negroes  and  to  protect  those  who  sheltered 
them.  It  was  a  dangerous  business  to  aid  a  slave  to  gain 
his  freedom.  The  laws  attached  a  penalty  of  $500  to  the 
crime  of  harboring  or  secreting  a  negro.  But  the  abolition- 
ists did  not  hesitate  to  protect  the  fugitives  even  at  the 
risk  of  their  own  lives. 

The  objective  point  of  the  Underground  Railroad  was 
Canada,  of  course,  but  many  negroes  did  not  go  farther 
than  the  northern  part  of  Illinois.  Among  the  starting 
points  of  the  system  were  Chester,  Alton,  and  Quincy: 
and  there  were  a  number  of  so-called  lines  or  routes  crossing 
the  state.  When  the  slaves  reached  Chicago  they  were  often 
smuggled  on  shipboard  and  forwarded  to  English  soil  by 
way  of  the  lake. 


XXX.    STEPHEN  A.  DOUGLAS  AND  THE  KANSAS- 
NEBRASKA  BILL 

From  the  adoption  of  the  United  States  Constitution 
slavery  had  been  a  disturbing  element  in  the  nation.  In 
1846,  pending  deliberations  for  securing  territory  from 
Mexico,  the  Wilmot  Proviso  was  introduced  into  Congress. 
It  declared  that  "neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude 
shall  ever  exist  in  any  part  of  said  territory,  except  for 
crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  first  be  duly  convicted." 
This  Proviso  passed  the  House,  but  failed  in  the  Senate. 
In  the  House  the  only  names  from  free  states  registered 
against  it  were  those  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  three 
other  Illinois  representatives.  Their  action  did  not  at  all 
please  their  constituents,  and  in  1849  the  Illinois  legislature 
passed  a  joint  resolution  instructing  our  senators  and 
representatives  in  Congress  to  use  all  honorable  means  to 
procure  the  enactment  of  such  laws  for  the  government  of 
the  territory  acquired  by  treaty  of  peace  with  Mexico  as 
should  contain  the  express  declaration  that  "  there  shall  be 
neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  the  said  terri- 
tories otherwise  than  in  punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the 
party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted."  In  1850  a  mass 
meeting  in  Chicago  called  upon  Douglas  to  obey  the  reso- 
lutions in  their  spirit  as  well  as  technical  letter,  or  resign. 
Douglas,  Tiot  wanting  to  resign,  continued  to  denounce 
the  Proviso  in  severe  terms;  then  in  obedience  to  instruc- 

138 


STEPHEN    A.    DOTH! LAS 


139 


STEPHEN  A.   DOUGLAS 

tions  voted  for  it,  knowing  that  it  would  not  prevail  even 
with  the  vote  of  Illinois. 

In  1844  a  movement  had  been  set  on  foot  by  the  War 
Department  to  form  the  country  now  included  in  Kansas, 
Nebraska,  North  and  South  Dakota  into  a  vast  and  perma- 
nent Indian  reservation.  Mr.  Douglas,  who  had  just  taken 


140  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

his  seat  in  Congress,  argued  that  this  would  hinder  the 
westward  growth  and  expansion  of  the  United  States, 
and  introduced  a  bill  to  organize  it  into  a  territory  instead. 
The  bill  was  not  voted  on,  but  so  long  as  it  was  before 
Congress  the  War  Department  could  do  nothing  toward 
making  this  region  an  Indian  reservation.  At  every  session 
for  ten  years  Douglas  introduced  the  same  or  a  similar 
bill.  But  the  members  of  Congress  did  not  feel  much 
interest  in  the  matter,  especially  those  from  the  South, 
since  slavery  had  been  forever  excluded  from  the  territory 
inqtiestion  by  the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820. 

"^M'lri  1854,  however,  Senator  Douglas  introduced  a  new  bill 
^^*^ 

that  attracted  their  attention.  It  provided  for  two  terri- 
tories, Kansas  and  Nebraska;  declared  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise of  no  effect;  and  provided  that  the  people  of  each 
territory  should  decide  for  themselves  whether  slavery 
should  be  allowed  there,  and  whether  upon  entering  the 
Union  their  state  should  be  free  or  slave.  Although 
Douglas  was  from  a  free  state,  this  bill  was  plainly  designed 
to  serve  the  interest  of  the  slaveholders.  Many  supposed 
that  he  wished  to  be  the  next  Democratic  candidate  for 
President  and  took  this  way  to  gain  the  favor  and  win  the 
votes  of  the  South.  The  passage  of  the  bill  produced 
intense  excitement  throughout  the  North. 

As  soon  as  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  was  introduced  into 
Congress  a  campaign  against  it  began  in  Illinois.  The 
measure  was  looked  upon  by  many  as  dangerous,  and 
brought  upon  Douglas,  its  author,  much  public  resentment. 
In  February,  1854,  a  large  mass  meeting  was  held  in  Chi- 


KANSAS-NEBRASKA  BILL  141 

cago,  made  up  largely  of  Douglas's  former  friends.  By 
resolution  it  declared:  "That  the  passage  of  the  bill  for  the 
repeal  or  molestation  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  will 
destroy  the  harmony  which  now  exists  between  the  North 
and  South,  create  sectional  disturbances  and  perpetuate 
agitation  of  questions  which  have  heretofore  been  regarded 
as  settled  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  nation." 

Even  when  Congress  passed  the  bill  the  agitation  against 
it  did  not  cease,  nor  did  the  indignation  of  the  people  abate. 
All  over  the  North  Douglas  was  denounced  as  a  traitor  to 
his  section  and  to  the  cause  of  human  liberty.  The  press 
teemed  with  censure.  One  of  the  Chicago  papers  said: 
"He  has  betrayed  us;  he  has  disregarded  us;  he  has  insulted 
us;  he  has  disgraced  us;  he  has  injured  us  in  our  reputation, 
our  fair  fame,  our  honor,  and  our  pecuniary  interest." 

Douglas  was  burned  in  effigy  along  his  way  home  from 
Washington.  When  he  arrived  in  Chicago  he  announced  that 
he  would  address  the  people  in  vindication  of  the  bill  on  the 
evening  of  September  1st.  Much  excitement  prevailed,  and 
rumors  of  violence  were  abroad .  Shortly  after  noon  the  flags 
on  all  shipping  were  displayed  at  half-mast,  and  a  quarter 
after  six  in  the  evening  the  bells  of  the  city  began  to  toll  and 
filled  the  air  with  their  mournful  tones  for  over  an  hour.  The 
vast  space  in  front  of  the  North  Market  Hall  was  thronged. 
When  the  senator  appeared  on  the  balcony  and  attempted 
to  begin  his  speech  he  was  greeted  at  once  with  hisses  and 
groans,  followed  by  a  wild  tumult  of  shouting  and  noise. 
Time  and  again  he  tried  to  speak,  only  to  have  his  voice 
drowned  by  the  tumult.  Finally  he  went  home  in  disgust. ' 


142  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Not  only  in  Chicago  but  on  every  hand  Douglas  saw 
signs  of  the  displeasure  of  the  people,  who  denounced  him 
as  selling  himself  to  the  slave  power.  His  future  depended 
on  regaining  and  holding  the  friendship  of  the  people  of 
Illinois,  so  he  spent  the  summer  and  fall  in  visiting  the 
most  important  towns  of  the  state  and  making  speeches  in 
explanation  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill.  And  by  skillful 
reasoning  he  persuaded  many  of  his  hearers  that  it  was  not 
so  bad  a  thing  after  all.  It  gave  the  people  of  the  territories 
the  right  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they  would 
have  slavery  or  not,  and  surely  such  "popular  sovereignty" 
was  in  strict  accord  with  the  fundamental  principles  of  our 
government.  But  his  reception  in  northern  and  central 
Illinois  was  rather  cold. 

In  October,  1854,  the  second  Illinois  state  agricultural 
fair  was  held  at  Springfield.  On  the  3rd  Douglas  made  a 
great  speech  to  the  many  farmers  gathered  there.  The  next 
day  Abraham  Lincoln  answered  him  in  a  well-framed  and 
well-delivered  speech  three  hours  long.  This  was  the  first 
time  these  two  had  met  in  debate.  Douglas  spoke  for  sev- 
eral minutes  hi  reply,  but  everybody  could  see  that  he  felt 
himself  beaten.  A  few  days  later  Douglas  made  another 
speech  at  Peoria  and  Lincoln  answered  him  again.  At  the 
close  Douglas  proposed  to  Lincoln  that  both  of  them  should 
return  home  and  make  no  more  speeches.  Lincoln  con- 
sented to  do  so,  but  later  on,  having  heard  that  Douglas 
had  broken  his  agreement  and  made  a  speech,  he  again 
entered  the  field. 


XXXI.     THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN 
PARTY  IN  ILLINOIS 

Democrats,  Whigs,  Free  Sellers — men  of  all  political 
parties  —  took  part  in  the  fight  against  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  Bill.  Party  lines  were  broken  up.  The  Demo- 
crats who  opposed  the  extension  of  slavery  left  the 
Democratic  party  and  became  known  as  Anti-Nebraska 
Democrats,  or  Free  Democrats.  For  a  time  the  enemies 
of  the  Bill  drifted  hither  and  thither,  but  as  the  contest 
grew  fiercer  they  gradually  came  closer  together. 

About  August,  1854,  a  movement  was  started  in  Illinois 
to  nominate  independent  candidates  for  the  approaching 
congressional  election  on  a  distinct  Anti-Nebraska  plat- 
form. The  DuPage  County  Free  Democratic  convention 
met  at  Wheaton  on  August  1st,  and  declared  that  a  new 
national  party  was  needed  to  restore  "the  government  to 
its  original  basis  of  liberty."  The  delegates  announced: 
"We  are  willing  to  surrender  our  party. name  and  to  be 
known  by  the  name  of  Republican,  suggested  by  the  friends 
of  freedom  in  Wisconsin,  Vermont,  and  other  states." 
From  that  time  on  the  call  for  a  new  party  increased.  On 
August  30th  the  Republican  party  of  the  first  Congres- 
sional District  was  organized  at  Rockford,  and  E.  B. 
Washburne  was  nominated  for  Congress. 
^A  so-called  Anti-Nebraska  Republican  state  convention 

143 


144  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

was  held  at  Springfield,  October  4th,  to  nominate  a  state 
treasurer.  It  was  a  gathering  of  the  abolitionists  and  the 
more  radical  antislavery  men.  The  Anti-Nebraska  Whigs 
and  Democrats  refused  to  attend.  Abraham  Lincoln,  who 
was  then  a  Whig,  was  asked  to  be  present,  but  his  friends 
dissuaded  him.  His  name  was  placed  on  the  state  central 
committee,  but  he  declined  to  serve.  Thus  the  effort  to 
unite  all  the  antislavery  men  in  one  party  failed  for  the 
time.  Yet  the  Whigs,  Democrats,  and  Ptepublicans  stood 
together  in  support  of  Anti-Nebraska  candidates.  Every- 
where the  campaign  was  pushed  with  vigor.  When  the 
election  was  over  it  was  found  that  the  Anti-Nebraska  men 
controlled  both  houses  of  the  state  legislature. 

A  United  States  senator  was  to  be  chosen  by  the  legisla- 
ture. The  three  parties,  Whigs,  Democrats,  and  Free 
Democrats,  were  about  equal  in  strength  and  numbers  in  the 
legislature,  so  that  no  candidate  could  receive  a  majority 
vote  unless  some  who  did  not  belong  to  his  party  would 
vote  for  him.  The  Democrats  nominated  for  senator  a 
man  who  had  never  expressed  himself  as  either  for  or 
against  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  thinking  thus  to  win 
votes  from  the  other  parties.  Lyman  Trumbull  was  the 
candidate  of  the  Anti-Nebraska  Democrats,  and  Abraham 
Lincoln  of  the  Whigs. 

Lincoln  was  popular,  but  was  not  yet  pronounced 
enough  in  his  views  to  suit  the  more  radical  abolitionists, 
and  five  of  the  Anti-Nebraska  Democrats  refused  to  vote 
for  him  or  any  other  Whig.  Fearing  that  some  friend  of 
slavery  would  be  elected,  Lincoln  withdrew  in  favor  of 


Illinois— 10 


146  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Trumbull.  By  this  unselfish  act  he  gained  many  friends 
and  secured  the  election  of  Trumbull.  The  latter's  election 
was  regarded  as  a  rebuke  to  Douglas,  and  to  emphasize 
the  rebuke  the  legislature  passed  a  resolution  instructing 
the  senators  from  Illinois  to  oppose  the  admission  of  slave 
states  formed  out  of  Kansas-Nebraska  territory,  and  to 
advocate  the  restoration  of  the  Missouri  Compromise. 

At  length  the  time  seemed  ripe  for  the  foes  of  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  to  withdraw  from  their  old  parties 
and  form  a  state  party  which  should  unite  all  the  anti- 
slavery  elements  in  the  state  into  one  powerful  whole. 
The  preliminary  step  to  such  an  organization  was  taken 
at  a  convention  of  Anti-Nebraska  newspaper  editors  held 
at  Decatur,  February  22,  1856.  They  asked  all  who  were 
in  favor  of  the  restoration  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  to 
drop  all  party  differences  upon  other  issues  and  unite  in 
a  state  convention  to  be  held  at  Bloomington,  May  29, 
the  chief  object  of  the  convention  being  the  nomination 
of  state  officers  on  an  Anti-Nebraska  platform. 

The  call  met  a  hearty  response.  Seventy-one  counties  out 
of  one  hundred  were  represented,  and  men  of  all  parties  were 
present,  Whigs,  Democrats,  Free  Democrats,  Abolitionists, 
Republicans.  While  the  name  Republican  was  not  applied 
to  the  convention  at  the  time,  yet  this  is  considered  the  first 
real  Republican  state  convention  of  Illinois.  John  M.  Pal- 
mer was  chosen  permanent  chairman.  William  H.  Bissell, 
a  Democrat,  was  unanimously  nominated  for  governor. 
The  platform  declared  that  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  unwise,  unjust,  and  injurious;  "that  we  are 


BEGINNING  OF  THE  REPUBLICAN  PARTY  147 

devoted  to  the  Union  and  will  to  the  last  extremity  defend 
it  against  the  efforts  now  being  made  by  the  disunionists  of 
this  administration  to  compass  its  dissolution ;  and  that  we 
will  support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  in  all 
its  provisions,  regarding  it  as  the  sacred  bond  of  our  Union 
and  the  only  safeguard  for  the  preservation  of  the  rights  of 
ourselves  and  our  posterity."  The  course  of  Senator 
Trurnbull  was  approved  and  that  of  Senator  Douglas  was 
condemned. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  chairman  of  the  nominating 
committee.  He  made  the  most  telling  speech  of  the  con- 
vention, in  which  he  defined  his  position  on  the  slavery 
question  fearlessly.  The  abolitionists  hesitated  no  longer 
but  hastened  to  give  him  their  support,  and  all  the  Anti- 
Nebraska  advocates  began  to  rally  about  him  as  the 
undoubted  leader  of  the  new  party  in  Illinois. 

The  contest  of  1856  was  a  noteworthy  one  in  Illinois. 
The  Republicans  were  completely  successful  in  electing 
the  state  officials,  including  the  governor,  William  H. 
Bissell.  The  triumph  gave  the  new  party  great  prestige 
within  the  state  and  welded  all  the  antislavery  elements 
more  firmly  together. 


XXXII.    LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATES 

Immediately  after  the  formation  of  the  Republican 
party  in  Illinois  events  came  thick  and  fast  that  aroused 
all  the  latent  opposition  to  the  spread  of  slavery  and  made 
it  the  one  issue  of  the  hour. 

Douglas's  term  as  United  States  senator  expired  in 
1859.  His  successor  was  to  be  chosen  by  the  legislature 
elected  in  1858.  Douglas  was  nominated  by  his  party  for 
reelection.  At  the  Republican  state  convention  held  at 
Springfield,  June  16,  1858,  it  was  unanimously  resolved, 
amid  great  enthusiasm,  "That  Hon.  Abraham  Lincoln  is 
our  first  and  only  choice  for  United  States  senator  to  fill 
the  vacancy  about  to  be  created  by  the  expiration  of  Mr. 
Douglas's  term  of  office."  The  platform  of  the  convention 
declared  against  the  further  spread  of  slavery,  for  non- 
intervention with  the  institution  in  those  states  where  it 
then  existed,  and  condemned  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  for  their  decision  in  the  Dred  Scott  case. 

When  the  business  of  the  convention  was  over  Lincoln 
made  a  speech  which  contained  the  now  famous  words: 
"A  house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand.  I  believe 
this  government  cannot  endure  permanently  half  slave 
and  half  free.  I  do  not  expect  the  Union  to  be  dissolved— 
I  do  not  expect  the  house  to  fall — but  I  do  expect  it  will 
cease  to  be  divided.  It  will  become  all  one  thing  or  all  the 

148 


LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATES  149 

other."  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  most  remarkable 
campaign  in  the  annals  of  Illinois.  His  contest  with 
Douglas  for  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  whole  country,  and  out  of  it  grew  results 
the  most  momentous  to  the  nation  since  its  foundation. 

On  July  9th,  Douglas  opened  his  campaign  with  a  speech 
in  Chicago.  The  next  day  Lincoln  answered  him.  A  corre- 
spondence ensued  in  which  Lincoln  challenged  him  to 
discuss  the  issues  in  a  series  of  joint  debates.  Douglas 
finally  agreed  to  meet  him  in  debate  at  the  following 
places:  beginning  at  Ottawa,  August  21,  then  Freeport, 
Jonesboro,  Charleston,  Galesburg,  Quincy,  and  closing  at 
Alton,  October  15. 

The  meetings  were  attended  by  enormous  crowda. 
People  came  from  miles  around.  Business  was  suspended. 
The  two  parties  vied  with  each  other  in  processions,  music, 
bonfires,  and  fireworks.  Douglas  traveled  in  a  special 
train  and  his  coming  was  announced  by  salutes  from  can- 
non. Lincoln  came  without  any  display,  and  he  often  had 
to  make  his  way  to  the  place  of  debate  as  best  he  could. 

Never,  perhaps,  were  debaters  so  well  matched  in  ability 
and  yet  so  different  in  methods  and  personality.  Douglas 
was  small  of  stature,  graceful,  and  had  regular  and  attract- 
ive features;  while  Lincoln  was  tall  and  gaunt,  his  eye- 
brows were  shaggy,  and  his  homely,  wrinkled  countenance 
wore  an  habitual  expression  of  sadness.  Douglas  was  one 
of  the  acknowledged  leaders  of  his  party  and  was  looking 
forward  to  the  Presidency;  but  Lincoln  was  scarcely 
known  outside  of  Illinois.  Eloquent,  confident,  alert, 


150  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

clever  in  repartee,  Douglas  was  master  of  the  art  of  debate. 
On  the  other  hand,  Lincoln's  power  lay  in  his  straightfor- 
wardness, his  commanding  logic,  his  deep  earnestness,  and 
his  ready  wit.  While  not  always  graceful  yet  he  was  an 
impressive  and  majestic  speaker.  While  deeply  realizing 
the  importance  of  the  contest,  and  while  he  spoke  to 
convince  rather  than  to  amuse,  yet  he  was  always  ready 
with  some  story,  some  humorous  sally,  to  irritate  his 
opponent  and  delight  his  audience.  And  it  is  said  that 
although  Douglas  charmed  his  hearers  with  his  eloquence, 
yet  Lincoln's  originality,  his  illustrations,  and  his  simplic- 
ity won  him  most  of  the  applause. 

Lincoln  was  strongly  opposed  to  slavery  on  moral, 
social,  and  political  grounds.  Douglas  looked  upon  the 
institution  either  with  indifference  or  with  approval,  and 
had  publicly  said  that  he  did  not  care  whether  slavery 
was  voted  up  or  voted  down.  Their  speeches  during  this 
debate  may  be  summed  up  as  follows:  Douglas  did  not 
believe  in  the  natural  equality  of  the  negro;  he  held  that 
the  people  of  every  territory  had  a  right  to  decide  what 
their  institutions  should  be,  but  at  the  same  time  he 
bowed  to  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  which  declared  that  they 
had  no  right  to  abolish  slavery.  Lincoln  declared  that  all 
men  are  endowed  with  certain  inalienable  rights  such  as 
life,  liberty,  and  pursuit  of  happiness;  he  held  that  the  Dred 
Scott  decision  and  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise 
were  outrages,  and  saw  in  them  and  in  the  actions  of  the 
national  administration  an  attempt  to  nationalize  and 
perpetuate  slavery. 


LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATES  151 

The  crisis  of  the  debates  came  at  Freeport,  August  27, 
when  the  direct  antagonism  that  existed  between  the  Dred 
Scott  decision  and  Douglas's  pet  theory  of  popular  sover- 
eignty was  set  forth  in  the  following  questions  which 
Lincoln  asked  of  Douglas:  "Can  the  people  of  a  United 
States  territory  in  any  lawful  way,  against  the  wish  of  any 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  exclude  slavery  from  its 
limits  prior  to  the  formation  of  a  state  convention?  If 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  shall  decide  that 
states  cannot  exclude  slavery  from  their  limits,  are  you  in 
favor  of  acquiescing  in,  adopting,  and  following  such 
decision,  as  a  rule  of  political  action?  Are  you  in  favor 
of  acquiring  additional  territory  in  disregard  of  how  such 
acquisition  may  affect  the  nation  on  the  slavery  question?" 

Douglas  answered  the  first  question  by  saying:  "It 
matters  not  what  way  the  Supreme  Court  may  hereafter 
decide  on  the  abstract  question  whether  slavery  may  or 
may  not  go  into  a  territory  under  the  constitution;  the 
people  have  the  lawful  means  to  introduce  it  or  exclude  it 
as  they  please,  for  the  reason  that  slavery  cannot  exist  a 
day  or  an  hour  anywhere  unless  it  is  supported  by  local 
police  regulations.  Those  police  regulations  can  only  be 
established  by  the  local  legislature,  and  if  the  people  are 
opposed  to  slavery  they  will  elect  representatives  to  that 
body  who  will  by  unfriendly  legislation  effectually  prevent 
the  introduction  of  it  into  their  midst."  He  evaded  the 
negt  question,  and  answered  the  last  in  the  affirmative. 

Lincoln  showed  the  questions  to  his  friends  before  he 
asked  them  of  Douglas.  Seeing  that  "the  Little  Giant" 


152  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

would  answer  them  in  such  a  way  as  to  gain  votes  among 
the  people  of  Illinois,  and  trust  to  good  fortune  to  make 
himself  right  with  the  people  of  the  South  later  on,  Lincoln's 
friends  remonstrated  with  him:  "  If  you  put  those  questions* 
to  him  he  will  perceive  that  an  answer  giving  practical 
force  and  effect  to  the  Dred  Scott  decision  in  the  territories 
inevitably  loses  him  the  battle,  and  he  will  therefore  reply 
by  offering  the  decision  as  an  abstract  principle  but  denying 
its  practical  application." 

"But,"  said  Lincoln,  "if  he  does  that  he  can  never  be 
President. " 

His  friends  replied:  "That  is  not  your  lookout.  You  are 
after  the  senatorship." 

"No,  gentlemen,"  said  Lincoln,  "I  am  killing  larger 
game.  The  battle  of  1860  is  worth  a  hundred  of  this." 

Lincoln  was  right.  Douglas's  reply  deprived  the  South 
of  all  the  advantages  of  the  Dred  Scott  decision,  and 
the  Southerners  looked  upon  him  as  having  deliberately 
deserted  a  principle  he  was  pledged  to  support.  By  thus 
disregarding  the  famous  decision  he  lost  his  hold  on  the 
South  and  was  thereby  prevented  from  becoming  Presi- 
dent. 

These  joint  debates  were  but  a  part  of  the  Illinois  cam- 
paign of  1858,  which  has  been  called  the  most  brilliant  ever 
made  in  the  country.  For  a  period  of  about  a  hundred 
days  Lincoln  and  Douglas  traveled  over  most  of  the  state 
making  speeches  everywhere.  John  M.  Palmer,  Judge 
Trumbull,  Richard  Oglesby,  Richard  Yates,  Carl  Schurz, 
Governor  Chase,  and  others  were  kept  busy  addressing 


LINCOLN-DOUGLAS  DEBATES  153 

the  people.  The  Republicans  polled  4,000  more  votes  than 
the  Democrats,  but  the  latter  elected  Douglas  to  the  senate 
by  a  vote  of  54  to  46  on  the  joint  ballot  of  the  legislature. 
This  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  existing  apportionment 
had  been  framed  by  the  Democrats  and  was  greatly  in  their 
favor.  Although  Lincoln  lost  the  senatorship,  he  now 
found  himself  one  of  the  foremost  antislavery  leaders  and 
orators  in  the  country,  and  the  debates  made  possible  his 
nomination  for  the  Presidency  by  the  Republican  party 
in  May,  1860,  at  Chicago. 


XXXIII.     THE  NOMINATION  AND  ELECTION  OF 
LINCOLN 

The  nomination  of  Abraham  Lincoln  for  the  Presidency 
was  brought  about  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Illinois 
men.  Prior  to  1859  a  few  admirers  had  mentioned  him  for 
President,  and  all  through  that  year  a  few  prominent  men 
of  the  state  worked  for  him  quietly  but  persistently.  The 
Republican  state  committee  followed  the  plan  of  having 
the  newspapers  in  the  country  towns  take  up  his  name 
first,  then  afterwards  the  city  papers  were  to  urge  his 
nomination.  In  December,  1859,  Joseph  Medill  of  the 
Chicago  Tribune  went  to  Washington  to  work  up  his  nomi- 
nation among  the  politicians  in  that  city.  Early  in  1860 
the  Tribune  came  out  openly  for  him.  Meanwhile  Norman 
A.  Judd  of  the  Republican  state  committee  brought  it 
about  that  the  Republican  national  convention  for  1860 
should  meet  in  Chicago — a  very  important  political 
maneuver. 

The  Republican  state  convention  met  at  Decatur,  May 
9-10,  1860.  Lincoln  was  present  as  a  visitor,  and  here  an 
incident  happened  that  colored  all  the  rest  of  the  canvass. 
Richard  Oglesby  asked  that  an  old  Democrat  of  Macon 
County  be  allowed  to  offer  a  contribution  to  the  convention, 
and  Thomas  Hanks  entered  the  hall  carrying  two  weather- 
worn fence-rails  decorated  with  flags  and  bearing  the 

154 


THE  NOMINATION  AND  ELECTION  OF  LINCOLN      155 

inscription:  " Abraham  Lincoln,  The  Rail  Candidate  for 
President  in  1860.  Two  rails  from  a  lot  of  3,000  made  in 
1830  by  Thomas  Hanks  and  Abe  Lincoln — whose  father 
was  the  first  pioneer  of  Macon  County." 

A  storm  of  applause  followed.  John  M.  Palmer  brought 
forward  the  resolution,  which  was  adopted,  that  "  Abraham 
Lincoln  is  the  choice  of  the  Republican  party  of  Illinois  for 


3>'ST 


I  *  111 

i     iS     !f      11:       •»  :-:::'--r  B 


ii 


•(=,5,11  T(    »  -  i»i      ji     m[\\\ 

^feiljf     I 

- ' 


THE  WIGWAM,  WHERE  LINCOLN  WAS  NOMINATED 

the  Presidency,  and  the  delegates  from  this  state  are 
instructed  to  use  all  honorable  means  to  secure  his  nomina- 
tion by  the  Chicago  convention,  and  to  vote  for  him  as  a 
unit."  While  this  was  going  on  in  Illinois  the  Republicans 
of  the  Eastern  states  hardly  realized  that  Lincoln  was  a 
possible  candidate. 

On  May  16  the  Republican  national  convention  met 
at  Chicago.  It  held  its  sessions  in  a  large  building  called 
the  Wigwam,  erected  for  the  purpose.  Some  say  there  were 


156  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

40,000  strangers  in  the  city  during  the  convention.  There 
were  the  delegates,  the  professional  politicians,  the  news- 
paper men,  the  friends  of  the  different  candidates,  and  the 
mere  spectators.  Some  of  the  delegations  brought  famous 
bands  with  them,  and  some  brought  crowds  of  men  hired  to 
march  and  cheer  for  particular  candidates.  Processions 
marched  up  and  down  the  streets,  and  often  some  one 
would  address  the  multitude  on  the  street  corners.  Horace 
Greeley  was  everywhere  in  evidence.  True  to  Lincoln, 
Chicago  decorated  her  carriages,  buildings,  and  streets 
with  his  emblems. 

When  the  convention  first  assembled  it  was  taken  for 
granted  by  most  people  that  William  H.  Seward,  governor 
of  New  York,  would  receive  the  nomination  for  the  Presi- 
dency, but  it  soon  became  evident  that  he  had  a  formidable 
rival  in  Lincoln.  New  York  had  sent  2,000  applaud ers 
to  create  enthusiasm  for  Seward.  When  the  friends  of 
Lincoln  saw  this  they  succeeded  in  calling  to  Chicago 
thousands  of  men  from  Illinois  and  Indiana  who  were 
ready  "to  march,  shout,  or  fight,"  for  Lincoln.  The 
Illinois  delegation  had  their  headquarters  at  the  Tremont 
House,  and  here  were  gathered  together  the  friends  of 
"the  railsplitter."  No  Lincoln  man  was  allowed  to  be 
idle.  They  worked  day  and  night.  There  were  nine  other 
candidates  besides  Seward,  and  it  was  the  task  of  the 
Illinois  delegates  to  unite  all  those  opposed  to  Seward  and 
persuade  them  to  vote  for  Lincoln. 

On  the  third  day  when  the  balloting  began  the  Wigwam 
was  filled  to  overflowing  and  thousands  waited  on  the 


THE  NOMINATION  AND  ELECTION  OF  LINCOLN      157 

outside.  The  friends  of  Lincoln  had  gathered  into  the 
Wigwam  every  powerful  voice  in  the  city  to  shout  for  the 
man  from  Illinois.  When  Norman  A.  Judd  placed  Lincoln's 
name  in  nomination  and  when  the  nomination  was  seconded 
the  people  leaped  from  their  seats,  and  the  wild  yell  that 
followed  showed  that  he  was  the  favorite  with  the  multi- 
tude. On  the  first  ballot  Seward  led  with  173J  votes  and 
Lincoln  followed  with  102;  233  votes  being  necessary  to  a 
choice.  On  the  second  ballot  Seward  gained  11,  while 
Lincoln  gained  79. 

Then  came  the  third  ballot.  Before  the  result  was  an- 
nounced it  was  whispered  by  those  who  had 'kept  count 
that  Lincoln  lacked  only  one  and  a  half  votes  of  being  nom- 
inated. In  a  moment  the  chairman  of  the  Ohio  delega- 
tion sprang  to  his  feet  and  said:  " I  rise  to  change  four  votes 
from  Mr.  Chase  to  Mr.  Lincoln."  Immediately  other 
changes  were  made  and  when  the  result  was  announced 
Lincoln  had  354  votes.  As  soon  as  it  was  realized  that 
he  had  received  the  nomination  a  man  on  the  platform 
shouted  to  a  man  stationed  on  the  roof:  " Hallelujah! 
Abe  Lincoln  is  nominated!"  A  cannon  boomed  the  news 
to  the  multitude  below  and  they  took  up  the  cry.  The  city 
went  wild  with  delight.  For  twenty-four  hours  the  clamor 
kept  up,  whistles,  and  bells,  and  guns.  The  outgoing  trains 
that  night  found  bonfires  blazing  at  every  village  and  the 
whole  state  astir  with  excitement. 

Meanwhile  the  Democratic  national  convention  had  met 
at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  April  23,  I860.  The  Demo- 
crats of  the  Southern  states  were  determined  that  a  platform 


158 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


should  be  adopted  stating  that  slaves  could  be  carried  into 
the  territories  and  that  neither  Congressional  nor  territo- 
rial legislation  could  interfere,  but  the  Democrats  of  the 
North  adhered  to  Douglas's  doctrine  of  popular  sovereignty. 
The  South  had  distrusted  Douglas  since  the  day  of  the 
Freeport  debate,  and  was  determined  to  prevent  him  from 


RICHARD  YATES 


securing  the  nomination  for  the  Presidency.  So  when  a 
Douglas  platform  was  adopted  the  Southern  members 
withdrew  from  the  convention.  Both  factions  held  con- 
ventions at  Baltimore  in  June.  The  Democrats  of  the 


THE  NOMINATION  AND  ELECTION  OF  LINCOLN      159 

North  nominated  Douglas,  and  the  Southerners  named 
Breckinridge.  This  split  in  the  Democratic  party  insured 
the  election  of  Lincoln. 

The  Republicans  of  Illinois  were  completely  successful 
at  the  polls.  Richard  Yates  was  elected  governor,  and 
during  this  most  critical  time  it  was  very  fortunate  that 
the  state  had  a  governor  so  loyal  to  the  Union.  In  Illinois, 
Lincoln  received  172,161  votes,  and  Douglas  160,215. 


XXXIV.    ILLINOIS  IN  1860 

The  decade  between  1850  and  1860  saw  a  wonderful 
advance  in  the  Prairie  State.  The  yield  of  corn  and  wheat 
doubled.  The  value  of  taxable  property  increased  three- 
fold. The  railroad  mileage  grew  from  111  in  1850  to 
2,790  in  1860.  The  cultivated  farms  expanded  from  five 
million  acres  to  thirteen  million  acres.  The  population 
increased  from  851,470  to  1,711,951.  The  population  of 
Chicago  grew  from  29,963  to  109,260.  The  last  two  of  our 
102  counties  were  organized  in  1859.  The  state  debt  was 
reduced  from  $15,500,000  to  $11,804,000;  while  the  revenue 
from  all  sources  increased  from  $593,142  to  $2,091,326. 
When  the  Civil  War  began  Illinois  ranked  fourth  among 
the  states  in  population  and  wealth. 

Great  also  had  been  the  improvements  in  other  direc- 
tions. The  farmers  were  now  using  reapers,  mowers,  corn 
cultivators,  and  improved  vehicles  of  every  kind.  The 
sewing  machine  had  become  a  household  convenience,  and 
greatly  facilitated  the  task  of  making  clothing  for  the 
soldiers  on  the  battlefield.  Stock  raising  had  already  be- 
come an  important  source  of  wealth.  The  manufactured 
products  of  the  state  had  risen  in  value  from  $2,000,000  in 
1850  to  over  $57,000,000  in  1860.  Log  houses  were  disap- 
pearing, and  comfortable  frame  and  brick  structures  were 
being  erected. 

160 


ILLINOIS  IN  1860  161 

The  public  school  system  established  under  the  law  of 
1855  was  doing  much  to  increase  popular  intelligence. 
Public  high  schools  had  been  established  in  four  cities  of 
the  state:  Chicago  (1856),  Springfield  and  Rockford  (1857), 
and  Peoria  (1858).  Higher  education  was  afforded  to  the 
young  men  and  women  by  several  colleges  established  upon 
private  foundations.  Among  these  were  Illinois  College 
(1829),  McKendree  (1830),  Shurtleff  College  (1835),  Knox 
(1837),  Monticello  Female  Seminary  (1840),  Illinois 
Wesleyan  (1850),  Northwestern  University  (1851),  Chicago 
Theological  Seminary,  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  and 
Eureka  (1855),  Monmouth  (1856),  Blackburn,  Lake  Forest, 
and  the  State  Normal  near  Bloomington  (1857),  McCormick 
Theological  Institute  (1859),  and  Wheaton  (1860). 

The  leading  railroad  of  the  state,  the  Illinois  Central, 
which  was  incorporated  in  1851,  was  completed  from  Cairo 
to  Chicago,  and  from  Centralia  to  East  Dubuque,  in  1856. 
At  that  time  its  total  mileage  in  the  state  was  705  miles. 
Its  service  to  the  nation  as  a  means  of  transporting  troops 
and  supplies  during  the  war  can  hardly  be  overestimated. 


Tllinois—  1 1 


XXXV.    OUTBREAK  OF  THE  WAR 

On  the  9th  of  February,  1861,  the  seceded  states  organ- 
ized under  a  Confederacy,  with  a  capital,  president,  and 
congress  of  their  own.  Two  days  later  Abraham  Lincoln 
left  for  Washington  to  take  the  oath  of  office  on  March  4th. 
A  large  company  of  his  friends  and  neighbors  gathered  at 
the  railway  station  at  Springfield  to  bid  him  good-by. 
Touched  by  their  good  will  and  deeply  sensible  of  the 
great  task  before  him,  he  addressed  them:  "My  Friends: 
No  one  not  in  my  position  can  appreciate  the  sadness  I 
feel  at  this  parting.  To  this  people  I  owe  all  that  I  am. 
Here  I  have  lived  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century; 
here  my  children  were  born,  and  here  one  of  them  lies 
buried.  I  know  not  how  soon  I  shall  see  you  again.  A 
duty  devolves  upon  me  which  is,  perhaps,  greater  than  that 
which  has  devolved  upon  any  other  man  since  the  days  of 
Washington.  He  never  would  have  succeeded  except  for 
the  aid  of  Divine  Providence,  upon  which  he  at  all  times 
relied.  I  feel  that  I  cannot  succeed  without  the  Divine  aid 
which  sustained  him;  on  the  same  Almighty  Being  I  place 
my  reliance  for  support,  and  I  hope  you,  my  friends,  will 
all  pray  that  I  may  receive  that  Divine  assistance,  without 
which  I  cannot  succeed,  but  with  which  success  is  certain. 
Again,  I  bid  you  all  an  affectionate  farewell." 

No  President  ever  took  the  oath  of  office  under  more 

162 


OUTBREAK  OF  THE  WAR  163 

trying  circumstances.  The  Union  on  the  verge  of  disso- 
lution, his  own  life  in  danger,  he  himself  an  untried  man 
distrusted  by  many  of  his  own  party — no  wonder  he  was 
humble,  no  wonder  he  was  anxious.  His  old-time  competi- 
tor, Judge  Douglas,  held  his  hat  during  the  inaugural 
ceremony  and  showed  him  every  courtesy. 

The  Civil  War  began  with  an  attack  on  the  Federal 
garrison  of  Fort  Sumter,  April  12.  On  the  15th,  President 
Lincoln  issued  a  call  for  75,000  volunteers  to  subdue 
"combinations  too  powerful  to  be  suppressed  by  the 
ordinary  course  of  judicial  proceedings,  and  to  cause  the 
laws  to  be  duly  executed."  On  the  same  day  Governor 
Yates  received  a  telegram  from  the  Secretary  of  War 
asking  for  six  regiments  for  immediate  service. 

The  governor's  call  for  troops  thrilled  the  people  of 
Illinois  with  the  spirit  of  war.  Meetings  were  held  in  every 
town  and  city.  Volunteers  offered  themselves  faster  than 
they  could  be  accepted.  The  governor  convened  a  special 
session  of  the  legislature.  Men  of  all  parties  hastened 
to  uphold  the  Union. 

Judge  Douglas  was  among  the  first  to  tender  his  support 
to  the  President.  In  an  address  before  a  joint  session  of  the 
state  legislature  he  said  that  the  first  duty  of  an  American 
citizen  is  obedience  to  the  constitution  and  laws.  "It  is  a 
duty  we  owe  to  ourselves  and  our  children  and  our  God  to 
protect  this  government  and  that  flag  from  every  assailant, 
be  he  who  he  may."  Coming  from  one  so  well  known  and 
honored,  such  words  were  worth  more  to  the  Union  at  that 
time  than  similar  words  from  any  other  living  man.  He 


164  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

made  several  speeches  in  the  state  in  which  he  declared 
that  "  the  shortest  way  now  to  peace  is  the  most  stupendous 
and  unanimous  preparations  for  war."  After  a  brief  illness 
he  died  in  Chicago,  June  3,  1861;  and  in  his  death,  it  has 
been  said,  the  cause  of  the  Union  sustained  a  loss  greater 
than  that  which  followed  any  mere  reverse  of  arms. 

On  April  19th  the  Secretary  of  War  telegraphed  Governor 
Yates  to  take  possession  of  Cairo  as  an  important  strategic 
point.  General  R.  K.  Swift  of  Chicago  was  at  once  ordered 
by  the  governor  to  proceed  to  Cairo  as  speedily  as  possible 
with  such  forces  as  he  could  muster.  There  were  few 
military  organizations  in  the  state,  and  few  guns  to  equip 
volunteers.  General  Swift  took  possession  of  Cairo  with 
about  1,000  men  and  a  few  cannon.  Slugs  were  hastily 
molded  to  take  the  place  of  shot  and  shell.  Cairo,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  was  very  important  as  the  key  to  the 
navigation  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi.  Located  as  far 
south  as  Richmond,  the  Confederate  capital,  and  very  near 
the  seat  of  war,  it  was  valuable  as  a  depot  of  supplies. 
Then,  too,  had  the  Confederates  been  able  to  seize  it  they 
could  have  controlled  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  and  its 
branches. 

The  outbreak  of  war  wrought  a  great  change  at  the 
state  capital.  It  became  a  very  busy  place.  The  governor 
was  besieged  with  those  offering  their  services — some 
moved  by  patriotism,  some  whose  only  aim  was  personal 
gain.  Among  those  who  found  their  way  to  Springfield 
was  Captain  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  late  of  the  regular  army. 
Since  1860  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  leather  trade  at 


165 


166  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Galena  with  his  father  and  brothers.  He  brought  with 
him  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  Hon.  E.  B.  Wash- 
burne,  who  represented  Illinois  in  Congress  from  1853  to 
1869  and  who  later  on  was  minister  to  France.  When 
he  tendered  his  services  to  the  governor,  Grant  said  "that 
he  had  been  the  recipient  of  a  military  education  at  West 
Point  and  that  now  when  the  country  was  involved  in  a 
war  for  its  preservation  and  safety  he  thought  it  was  his 
duty  to  offer  his  services  in  defense  of  the  Union,  and  that  he 
would  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  serve  in  any  position  where 
he  could  be  useful." 

Grant  was  set  to  work  in  the  adjutant  general's  office, 
copying,  arranging,  and  filing  papers.  In  a  few  days  he 
was  installed  as  commandant  at  Camp  Yates,  a  rendezvous 
camp,  where  he  was  needed  to  perfect  organizations  and 
discipline.  He  also  served  the  state  by  mustering  in  regi- 
ments at  various  places.  So  efficient  was  he  that  on  June 
16  he  was  put  in  command  of  the  21st  Illinois  regiment. 
He  soon  distinguished  himself,  and  on  August  23,  1861, 
was  made  brigadier  general  and  stationed  at  Cairo.  He 
gained  control  of  the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  rivers 
and  saved  the  Ohio  for  the  Union.  In  the  hands  of  Grant, 
Cairo  became  the  entering  wedge  by  which  the  eastern  and 
western  divisions  of  the  Confederacy  were  eventually  split 
in  two  along  the  line  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  story  of  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  however,  as  well 
as  of  Shiloh,  and  Vicksburg,  and  Chattanooga,  and  Appo- 
mattox  belongs  rather  to  the  history  of  the  nation  than 
to  the  history  of  Illinois.  Characterized  by  a  thorough 


OUTBREAK  OF  THE  WAR  167 

knowledge  of  military  measures  and  men,  persistent,  cool 
and  courageous  in  danger,  careful  of  the  wants  of  the 
humblest  soldier,  plain,  quiet,  modest,  yet  inspiring  con- 
fidence, Grant  came  to  be  the  head  of  all  the  armies  of  the 
United  States,  and  more  than  any  other  general  brought 
about  the  downfall  of  the  Confederacy.  In  gratitude  the 
people  made  him  President. 


XXXVI.    ILLINOIS'S  SHARE  IN  THE  STRUGGLE 

Besides  Abraham  Lincoln  and  U.  S.  Grant,  Illinois  fur- 
nished the  nation  during  the  war  eleven  major  generals, 
twenty  brevet  major  generals,  twenty-five  brigadier 
generals,  and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  brevet 
brigadier  generals.  The  major  generals  were:  John  Pope, 
John  A.  McClernand,  Stephen  A.  Hurlbut,  Benjamin  M. 
Prentiss,  John  M.  Palmer,  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  John  A. 
Logan,  John  M.  Schofield,  Napoleon  B.  Buford,  Wesley 
Merritt,  Benjamin  H.  Grierson,  and  Giles  A.  Smith.  Illinois 
furnished  about  259,000  soldiers  in  all — the  largest  quota 
in  proportion  to  population  except  those  of  Kansas  and 
Nevada.  Only  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio  sent 
more  troops  into  the  field. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  volunteers  enlisted  faster 
than  they  could  be  accepted.  Prior  to  February  1,  1864, 
Illinois  alone  of  all  the  states  had  escaped  a  draft;  and 
in  1864  only  3,538  had  to  be  enlisted  by  compulsion,  and 
only  55  purchased  exemption  by  commutation — a  smaller 
number  than  in  any  other  state  except  Kansas.  No  draft  ^ 
would  have  been  needed  at  all  had  there  not  been  an 
inaccurate  count  of  those  subject  to  military  duty.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  war  it  became  evident  that  the  state  was 
furnishing  many  in  excess  of  what  a  correct  estimate  would 
have  required.  Under  the  last  call  for  troops  in  a  number 
of  places  the  quota  exceeded  the  number  of  able-bodied  men. 

168 


ILLINOIS'S  SHARP]  IN  THE  STRUGGLE  169 

Nearly  all  the  troops  from  this  state  were  employed  in 
the  South.  Wherever  the  fight  was  the  thickest  there 
were  the  brave  men  from  Illinois, — the  first  in  the  charge 
and  the  last  to  retreat.  Illinois  troops  suffered  very  heavily 
at  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Chickamauga,  Missionary 
Eidge,  and  Vicksburg.  At  these  places,  some  of  the  Illinois 
regiments  lost  from  50  to  63  per  cent,  in  killed  and  wounded. 
The  total  loss  of  Illinois  troops  during  the  war  is  reported  at 
34,834,  or  one  in  about  every  seven  of  those  who  enlisted. 
Of  this  number  24,940  died  of  disease.  The  total  loss  is 
exceeded  only  by  that  of  New  York  and  Ohio. 

It  would  be  a  long  story  to  follow  the  men  of  Illinois  in 
their  long  marches  and  hard-fought-  battles,  in  their  heroic 
sufferings  and  glorious  victories  during  the  four  years  of 
civil  strife.  None  were  more  gallant  than  they.  Their 
deeds  of  valor  would  fill  volumes.  How  much  the  nation 
is  indebted  to  them  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  in 
the  two  great  movements  which  severed  the  Confederacy 
and  so  hastened  its  downfall,  Illinois  was  more  largely 
represented  than  any  other  state.  Absent  for  years  from 
home  and  everything  held  most  sacred  and  dear,  leading  a 
strange  life,  often  with  no  bed  but  the  earth  and  no  tent 
but  the  sky,  on  scant  rations  and  in  much  weariness, 
exposed  to  the  Southern  sun  and  the  rain  and  sleet,  sur- 
rounded by  scenes  of  the  deepest  misery  and  suffering,  beset 
on  every  hand  by  dangers  of  every  kind;  the  target  of 
deadly  shot  and  shell;  the  prey  of  still  more  deadly  dis- 
ease,— such  was  the  price  they  paid  for  the  preservation  of 
the  Union. 


XXXVII.    AT  HOME  DURING  THE  WAR 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  battle  at  Fort  Donelson 
reached  the  North,  Governor  Yates  and  other  state  officials 
visited  the  battlefield  to  encourage  the  soldiers  and  care  for 
the  sick  and  wounded.  This  they  did  also  after  the  battle 
of  Shiloh.  The  army  hospitals  were  overcrowded,  and  at 
the  governor's  suggestion  about  a  thousand  wounded  sol- 
diers were  brought  north  on  steamboats  to  be  cared  for  in 
the  hospitals  at  Springfield,  Peoria,  and  Quincy.  Yates 
heartily  supported  the  measures  of  Lincoln,  and  his  loyalty 
and  devotion  to  the  Union  earned  him  the  title,  "  the  War 
Governor  of  Illinois."  His  winning  manners  made  him  one 
of  the  most  popular  governors  the  state  ever  had.  He  was 
elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  in  1865,  when 
Richard  J.  Oglesby  was  made  governor. 

Much  credit  is  due  to  the  State  Sanitary  Commission, 
the  Christian  Commission,  and  to  various  other  charitable 
organizations  of  the  state  for  their  work  in  sending  clothing, 
medicine,  and  other  supplies  and  means  of  relief  to  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers.  Soldiers'  aid  societies  were  organ- 
ized in  nearly  every  county,  and  the  citizens  responded 
liberally  to  the  many  calls  made  upon  them.  The  noble 
self-sacrifice  of  the  women  of  the  state  calls  for  much 
praise.  Many  of  them  gave  themselves  as  volunteer 

170 


AT  HOME  DURING  THE  WAR  171 

nurses.  The  work  of  the  loyal  press,  of  the  churches  and 
ministers,  was  also  of  the  greatest  importance. 

In  1862  in  Tazewell  County  there  was  started  a  secret 
order,  known  as  the  Union  League  of  America,  which  had 
for  its  object  the  promotion  of  loyalty  and  the  advancement 
of  the  Union  cause  by  political  methods.  It  spread  very 
rapidly  in  this  and  other  states. 

Inseparably  connected  with  the  history  of  the  war  are 
the  songs  written  by  two  citizens  of  Chicago: — George  F. 
Root,  who  wrote  "The  Battle  Cry  of  Freedom,"  "Just 
before  the  Battle,  Mother,"  and  "Tramp,  Tramp,  Tramp, 
the  Boys  are  Marching";  and  Henry  Clay  Work,  author 
of  "Marching  through  Georgia,"  "Kingdom  Coming,"  and 
"Brave  Boys  are  They."  These  songs  were  sung  in  every 
camp  throughout  the  army,  inciting  the  soldiers  to  valor, 
and  stirred  the  patriotism  of  those  who  remained  at  home, 
where  they  were  used  at  public  meetings. 

There  were  some  in  the  state  who  were  in  favor  of  peace 
at  any  price.  Nor  did  all  who  were  in  favor  of  preserving 
the  Union  approve  of  the  way  the  war  was  carried  on. 
Many  were  opposed  to  the  Emancipation  Proclamation 
and  other  measures  of  Lincoln.  Not  all  Republicans 
supported  Lincoln,  neither  did  all  Democrats  oppose  him. 
In  the  hour  of  peril  the  Democrats  laid  aside  their  party 
feelings  and  rallied  to  the  defense  of  the  nation,  but  after- 
ward, because  of  the  administration's  policy  of  appointing 
only  Republicans  to  office,  many  of  them  came  to  look 
upon  the  war  from  a  partisan  standpoint. 

On  January  7,  1862,  a  constitutional  convention  met  in 


172  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Springfield  to  frame  &  new  state  constitution.  The  Demo- 
crats were  in  the  majority.  After  organization,  the  dele- 
gates took  the  position  that  the  law  which  had  called  the 
convention  was  no  longer  binding,  and  refused  to  take  the 
oath  to  support  the  state  constitution  as  the  legislature  had 
prescribed.  They  claimed  that  they  were  the  governing 
body  of  the  state  and  assumed  the  right  to  dictate  and 
control  all  the  departments  of  government.  They  even 
deliberated  about  electing  a  United  States  senator.  They 
ratified  a  proposed  amendment  to  the  Federal  constitution, 
and  appropriated  $500,000  for  the  relief  of  the  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers.  Of  course  all  this  was  illegal  and  dicta- 
torial. The  instrument  they  formed  was  a  great  improve- 
ment over  the  old  constitution,  yet  it  was  thought  that  a 
certain  passage  in  it  upheld  states'  rights  too  much  and 
favored  the  right  of  secession.  The  Republicans  opposed 
its  adoption,  as  did  many  others  because  of  the  unlawful 
proceedings  of  the  convention  itself.  It  was  defeated  at  the 
polls. 

The  23rd  General  Assembly  convened  January  5,  1863. 
Here  again  the  Democrats  were  in  the  majority.  The 
whole  tone  of  the  proceedings  of  this  assembly  was  decid- 
edly opposed  to  the  war  and  to  Lincoln  and  Yates.  By 
resolution  it  declared  for  a  truce,  saying  that  the  war  had 
been  a  failure.  It  accomplished  little  business  of  impor- 
tance. The  two  houses  failed  to  agree  upon  a  date  for 
adjournment.  In  case  of  such  disagreement  the  constitu- 
tion empowered  the  governor  to  adjourn  the  assembly. 
It  was  Yates's  opinion  that  the  state  and  nation  would 


AT  HOME  DURING  THE  WAR  173 

be  better  off  if  the  session  were  cut  short.  So  on  June  10th, 
to  the  consternation  of  the  members,  the  governor  issued  a 
proclamation  proroguing  the  legislature  until  December  31, 
1864. 

Excitement  was  intense  during  the  war,  and  partisan 
feeling  ran  high.  The  Republicans  called  the  Democrats 
"copperheads"  and  "traitors,"  and  the  Democrats  in  turn 
called  them  "black  abolitionists."  The  war  furnished 
opportunity  for  the  lawless  element  to  commit  many 
misdeeds, — now  in  the  name  of  the  Union,  now  in  behalf 
of  the  South.  A  number  of  atrocious  murders  were  com- 
mitted. Sometimes  men  would  be  called  to  their  doors  and 
shot  down.  But  as  a  whole  the  people  were  law-abiding. 
The  state  was  under  martial  law.  The  swagger  of  govern- 
ment officers  and  soldiers  home  on  furlough  caused  no  little 
hard  feeling.  Men  grew  to  distrust  each  other.  An  open- 
spoken  person  was  always  in  danger.  The  government 
made  numerous  arrests  for  mere  utterance  of  disloyal 
sentiments,  many  times  but  idle  talk. 
.  On  June  1,  1863,  the  commander  of  the  Department  of 
the  Ohio  ordered  the  military  authorities  in  Chicago  to 
take  possession  and  suppress  the  issue  of  The  Chicago 
Times,  a  paper  which  had  been  very  free  in  criticising  the 
policy  of  the  administration  and  the  conduct  of  the  war. 
The  editor  was  notified  of  the  order  and  he  at  once  applied 
to  the  Judge  of  the  United  States  Court  for  the  Northern 
District  of  Illinois  for  an  injunction  to  restrain  the  army 
officers  from  carrying  the  order  into  effect.  The  court 
granted  a  temporary  restraining  order,  but  in  contempt  of 


174  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

the  civil  tribunal  the  soldiers  took  possession  of  the  office 
of  The  Times.  This  clash  between  the  civil  and  military 
authorities  aroused  the  people  against  what  they  called 
military  despotism.  A  number  of  prominent  men  tele- 
graphed a  petition  to  President  Lincoln  asking  him  to 
rescind  the  order  for  the  good  and  peace  of  the  city,  which 
he  quickly  did. 

Armed  resistance  was  sometimes  offered  to  Union  officers 
attempting  to  arrest  deserters.  A  certain  judge  discharged 
three  deserters,  and  on  a  charge  of  kidnapping  arrested  the 
Union  officers  who  had  taken  the  deserters  into  custody; 
but  he  was  taken  by  the  soldiers  from  his  bench,  his  court 
adjourned  by  military  power,  and  he  himself  sent  as  a 
prisoner  to  another  state.  Collisions  between  soldiers 
and  citizens  were  frequent — the  most  bloody  being  at 
Charleston,  where  seven  persons  were  killed  and  eight 
wounded.  Armed  raids  were  made  upon  Jacksonville, 
Winchester,  Manchester,  Greenville,  and  Vandalia;  while 
incursions  from  Confederate  bushwhackers  were  common  in 
Calhoun,  Scott,  Pike,  Hancock,  and  Adams  counties.  At 
one  time  a  company  of  Federal  troops  had  to  be  sent  into 
Scott  and  Greene  counties  to  prevent  raids. 

The  garrison  at  Cairo  suppressed  the  traffic  in  lead,  arms, 
ammunition,  and  other  contraband  goods  between  Galena, 
St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  and  the  cities  on  the  lower  Mississippi. 
Suspected  steamboats  were  boarded  and  searched.  In 
many  counties  large  numbers  of  volunteers  were  temporarily 
lodged  under  the  sheds  of  fair  grounds  until  barracks 
could  be  erected  at  Camp  Butler  at  Springfield,  and  Camp 


AT  HOME  DURING  THE  WAR  175 

Douglas  at  Chicago.  These  were  the  principal  points  for 
the  rendezvous  and  instruction  of  volunteers  and  for  mus- 
tering out  troops  when  the  war  was  over,  and  they  became 
places  of  custody  for  many  thousands  of  Confederates 
captured  in  war. 

All  through  the  Northwest  there  were  those  who  were 
disloyal  to  the  Union.  They  organized  themselves  into 
secret  societies,  the  largest  and  strongest  of  which  was 
known  as  the  Knights  of  the  Order  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty. 
This  was  a  military  organization  and  had  for  its  object  the 
discouragement  of  enlistments,  the  protection  of  deserters, 
the  circulation  of  disloyal  publications,  the  cooperation 
with  the  Confederates  in  the  destruction  of  government 
property  and  in  raids  and  invasions,  and  the  freeing  of 
Confederate  prisoners  of  war.  Many  of  the  members, 
however,  were  ignorant  of  the  real  purpose  of  the  order, 
and  would  not  have  countenanced  any  hostility  to  the  gov- 
ernment. 

In  August,  1864,  the  leaders  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  in 
concert  with  agents  of  the  Confederacy,  made  plans  to 
liberate  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Chicago,  Springfield,  Rock 
Island,  and  Alton;  but  their  plans  were  discovered  by  Union 
officers  and  were  abandoned.  Several  times  they  planned 
an  attack  upon  Chicago;  the  last  of  these  plans  included 
the  burning  of  the  city.  But  the  Union  officers  arrested  the 
leaders  in  their  hiding  places  and  the  "Camp  Douglas 
conspiracy"  came  to  naught.  - 

During  the  first  two  years  of  the  war,  times  were  very 
hard  in  Illinois.  Corn  sold  as  low  as  9  cents  a  bushel.  Many 


176  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

women  were  called  upon  to  do  the  work  of  the  men  on  the 
farms.  But  much  money  was  put  into  circulation  by  the 
expenditures  of  the  war,  and  prosperity  prevailed  during 
the  closing  years  of  the  conflict.  The  price  of  land  ad- 
vanced, sometimes  as  much  as  100  per  cent.,  and  many 
made  their  fortunes.  The  population  of  the  state  in  1865 
was  2,141,510,  or  nearly  25  per  cent,  increase  since  1860. 
Governor  Yates  in  his  last  message  said:  "Our  prosperity 
is  as  complete  and  ample  as  though  no  tread  of  armies  or 
beat  of  drums  had  been  heard  in  our  borders. " 

The  end  of  the  war  brought  great  joy  to  the  people  of  the 
North.  Friends  welcomed  home  the  returning  soldiers. 
The  terrible  nervous  strain  was  over.  But  the  rejoicing 
was  turned  into  grief  by  the  assassination  of  the  President, 
April  14,  1865.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Illinois  and 
laid  at  rest  in  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  near  his  old  home  in 
Springfield.  A  splendid  monument  marks  the  spot  where 
sleeps  Illinois's  most  illustrious  son.  He  had  gone  forth  an 
untried  man  and  returned  a  martyred  hero. 


XXXVIII.    CHICAGO 

When  Chicago  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1837  it  had 
a  population  of  4,179,  and  492  buildings.  The  first  public 
improvement  was  the  system  of  waterworks  built  in  1839 — 
a  pump  of  25  horse  power  drew  water  from  the  lake  and 
distributed  it  through  wooden  pipes. 

The  building  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  greatly 


CHICAGO  IN  1832 

aided  the  growth  of  the  place.  In  1836,  when  work  was 
started  on  the  canal,  the  population  was  about  4,000;  by 
1848  it  had  increased  to  20,923.  The  first  schoolhouse  was 
built  in  1835.  The  Rush  Medical  School  opened  in  1843 
with  22  students.  The  Journal  was  started  in  1844;  The 

Illinois— 12  177 


178  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Tribune  in  1847.  Previous  to  1844  a  few  planks  had  been 
laid  down  for  sidewalks,  but  the  prairie  soil  was  the  only 
roadbed  of  even  the  main  streets.  Ditches  were  dug  along 
the  sides  of  the  streets  to  carry  off  the  surplus  water.  As 
late  as  1848  the  city  was  sometimes  a  whole  week  without 
the  arrival  of  a  single  mail. 

From  1848  to  1854  the  cholera  prevailed.  It  spread  to 
almost  every  cluster  of  dwellings  in  the  Northwest.  In 
1854  it  appeared  in  its  worst  form:  the  mortality  of  Chicago 
for  that  year  was  3,830,  or  one  in  every  17. 

In  1849  two  companies  were  given  the  franchise  to  light 
the  city  with  gas.  The  first  locomotive  made  in  Chicago, 
"The  Enterprise,"  was  built  in  1853.  In  1851  a  crib  was 
built  out  in  the  lake  to  supply  the  city  with  pure  water. 

The  altitude  of  the  city  was  only  a  few  feet  above  the 
lake,  and  when  in  1856  the  river  was  deepened  and  widened 
the  sand  and  mud  were  used  to  raise  the  grade  of  the  city. 
This  was  the  day  of  uneven  sidewalks:  single  buildings  were 
here  and  there  raised  to  grade  and  the  walks  in  front  lifted 
to  correspond,  while  those  on  either  side  were  on  the  old 
level,  a  yard  or  more  below.  So  bad  was  the  condition  of 
the  streets  that  the  baggage  of  persons  coming  to  the  city 
by  rail  would  often  lie  in  the  depot  for  days  because  it 
could  not  be  hauled  through  the  mud.  The  first  square 
of  wooden-block  pavement  was  laid  in  1856. 

In  1854  the  public  schools  were  organized  by  classify- 
ing the  pupils  by  examination.  A  high  school  was  built. 
The  Northwestern  University  was  established  in  1851. 
The  old  Chicago  University  was  founded  in  1855 — Stephen 


CHICAGO  179 

A.  Douglas  donating  the  land  upon  which  the  buildings 
were  erected.  Previous  to  1852  there  were  only  about  60 
buildings  in  the  city  that  were  constructed  of  stone  or 
brick;  but  by  1855  building  had  become  almost  a  mania, 
and  many  of  the  old  wooden  buildings  were  replaced  by 
more  substantial  ones.  In  1859  the  rails  were  laid  for  the 
first  street  cars. 

The  Civil  War  built  up  the  manufactures  and  commerce 
of  the  city.  The  population  increased  nearly  80,000  during 
the  five  years.  The  city  was  an  important  base  of  supply, 
and  was  the  paradise  of  speculators.  Many  splendid  build- 
ings were  erected  during  this  period.  The  old  wooden 
sidewalks  were  replaced  by  stone,  and  considerable  pave- 
ment was  laid.  In  1863  new  waterworks  were  built  at  a 
cost  of  a  million  dollars.  In  1869  the  first  tunnel  was  built 
under  the  Chicago  River. 

On  the  night  of  October  8,  1871,  Chicago  was  visited  by 
the  most  destructive  fire  that  the  world  had  ever  witnessed. 
By  1871  the  city  had  become  the  trade  center  of  the  lake 
region  and  the  West.  It  was  the  center  of  more  than  a 
dozen  lines  of  railroad,  and  its  wharves  were  visited  by 
thousands  of  vessels.  The  population  was  334,270.  The 
fire  started  among  wooden  buildings  in  a  poor  quarter  of 
the  city,  a  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  the  courthouse. 
The  weather  had  been  very  dry,  and  a  brisk  wind  drove  the 
fire  very  rapidly  toward  the  business  portion.  There  were 
miles  upon  miles  of  wooden  buildings  in  the  city,  many  even 
in  the  down-town  district,  which  burned  very  quickly. 

The  fire  department  was  helpless  before  the  fire  as  it 


ISO 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


strode  through  the  city.  All  hope  of  staying  its  progress 
was  abandoned.  It  disabled  the  pumping  engines  at  the 
waterworks  and  cut  off  the  water  supply.  For  eighteen 
hours  it  burned  all  before  it: — hovels  and  palaces,  churches 
and  dens  of  iniquity,  splendid  public  buildings  and  elegant 
residences. 

)  k'The  people  fled  for  their  lives  to  the  parks  and  cemeteries, 
to  the  prairies  around  the  city,  and  in  many  cases  into  the 


CHICAGO  AFTER  THE  FIRE  OF  1871 

lake  to  escape  the  scorching  flames.  Stores  were  thrown 
open  and  all  invited  to  help  themselves  to  the  goods  that 
would  soon  be  burned.  The  prisoners  were  relgftsed  from 
the  jail  to  save  their  lives.  Owners  of  vehicles  charged 
enormous  sums  for  hauling  families  and  their  goods  to 
places  of  safety.  All  the  baser  side  of  human  nature  was 
displayed.  All  sorts  of  crimes  were  committed.  Many 


CHICAGO  181 

plunderers  were  abroad.  Incendiaries  set  fresh  fires  for  the 
sake  of  plunder.  Saloons  were  thrown  open  and  the  free 
liquor  maddened  the  vicious.  Many  citizens  hastening 
with  their  treasures  to  places  of  refuge  were  knocked  down 
and  robbed. 

Nearly  100,000  were  rendered  homeless  and  shelterless. 
Families  became  separated,  and  friends  saw  their  loved 
ones  perish  in  the  flames  without  being  able  to  help  them. 
People  of  all  classes  and  conditions  huddled  together  in 
places  of  refuge.  A  chilly  rain  set  in.  Many  were  without 
sufficient  clothing,  all  were  destitute  of  food  and  more  or 
less  exhausted  and  terrified.  The  fire  destroyed  17,500 
buildings;  the  burned  area  amounted  to  2,134  acres;  and 
the  pecuniary  loss  was  about  $150,000,000.  About  250 
lost  their  lives. 

The  world  hastened  to  the  relief  of  Chicago.  Great  was 
her  need,  but  greater  still  the  help  she  received.  Never 
before  had  such  liberality  been  shown.  Carloads  of  food, 
provisions,  and  clothing  were  sent  in  by  the  hundred — 
more  in  fact  than  \vas  sufficient.  Cities  in  this  country 
and  Europe  gave  about  $7,000,000  in  money.  The  state 
legislature  called  together  by  Governor  Palmer  refunded 
the  $3,000,000  which  the  city  had  expended  on  deepening 
the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal. 

Under  grave  apprehensions  for  the  peace  and  good  order 
of  the  city,  the  mayor  turned  it  over  to  the  United  States 
troops  under  General  Philip  H.  Sheridan.  Martial  law  was 
proclaimed  and  good  order  was  maintained.  Governor 
Palmer  protested  to  the  mayor  and  to  President  Grant 


182  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

against  the  city's  being  turned  over  to  the  Federal  troops, 
saying  that  the  state  militia  should  have  been  called  upon 
first  to  furnish  protection,  and  that  the  military  occupation 
of  the  city  by  Federal  troops  was  in  violation  of  the  state 
and  Federal  constitutions.  But  it  was  for  the  best,  since 
the  lives  and  property  and  good  order  of  a  great  city  were 
in  danger. 

Since  the  fire  cleared  the  ground  for  better  structures, 
it  has  often  been  spoken  of  as  a  blessing  in  disguise.  But 
the  great  hardships  it  imposed  must  not  be  forgotten. 
Many  of  the  smaller  merchants,  especially,  were  never  able 
to  enter  business  again,  and  many  whose  whole  posses- 
sions were  swept  away  lived  out  their  lives  in  poverty. 
The  fire  advertised  the  city  as  n'othing  else  could  have 
done.  With  the  energy  that  characterizes  its  citizens  they 
set  to  work  to  rebuild  the  vast  waste.  The  work  drew 
many  laborers  to  the  city.  Within  two  years  Chicago  was 
rebuilt,  and  trade  was  flowing  again  in  its  natural  chan- 
nels. By  an  unprecedented  growth  it  became  the  second 
city  of  the  continent.  In  1870  Cook  County  had  about 
one  seventh  of  the  population  of  the  state;  in  1900  the 
proportion  was  about  two  fifths.  "  From  1870  to  1900  the 
state  outside  of  Chicago  grew  only  thirty-six  per  cent, 
in  population;  but  Chicago  gained  over  five  hundred  per 
cent. 

In  1908  the  area  of  Chicago  amounted  to  more  than  190 
square  miles.  It  had  118  hotels,  990  miles  of  street  and 
elevated  railways,  about  300  newspapers,  68  banks,  over 
260  public  schools,  and  over  1,000  churches.  The  growth 


CHICAGO 


183 


of  the  city  continues   unabated.     In   1907  permits  were 
issued  for  21,826  buildings  to  cost  nearly  $60,000,000. 

In  1888  the  clubs  of  Chicago  began  a  campaign  to  secure 
for  their  city  the  international  celebration  of  the  four  hun- 
dredth anniversary  of  the  discovery  of  America  by  Colum- 
bus. New  York,  St.  Louis,  and  Washington  were  competing 
cities,  but  after  an  exciting  contest  the  choice  of  Congress 
fell  upon  Chicago,  and  an  act  establishing  the  World's 


THE  WORLD'S  FAIR  AT  CHICAGO 

Columbian  Exposition  at  that  city  was  signed  by  President 
Harrison,  April  25,  1890.  Congress  made  liberal  donations, 
and  Chicago  itself  raised  ten  million  dollars.  The  site 
selected  was  Jackson  Park  and  a  strip  connecting  Jackson 
and  Washington  Parks,  called  Midway  Plaisance.  The 
grounds  were  laid  out  in  wonderful  beauty.  The  buildings 


184  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

were  white,  so  that  the  fair  was  called  "The  "White  City." 
The  total  space  under  roof  was  nearly  250  acres.  There 
were  seventeen  departmental  buildings,  such  as  the  Manu- 
factures, Fishery,  and  Electrical.  Eighty-six  nations  were 
represented,  and  every  state  had  its  building.  The  Illinois 
state  building  was  the  largest  of  all  state  structures.  The 
fair  was  formally  opened  May  1,  1903,  and  closed  October 
31,  of  the  same  year.  The  total  number  of  admissions  was 
27,530,460;  the  largest  for  any  single  day  being  761,944 
on  Chicago  Day,  October  9.  The  fair  brought  many  resi- 
dents to  the  city  and  called  for  the  erection  of  many  new 
hotels  and  other  buildings. 

As  might  be  expected  in  so  great  a  manufacturing  center, 
there  have  been  many  labor  troubles.  Chicago  is  fighting 
the  industrial  battles  of  the  entire  West.  Notable  among 
the  strikes  was  that  of  1886,  which  ended  in  the  anarchist 
riot  in  Haymarket  Square.  In  1894  during  a  railroad 
strike  in  the  city  President  Cleveland  sent  the  United  States 
troops  to  protect  the  mails.  Governor  Altgeld  thought 
this  action  an  infringement  of  state  rights,  and  protested 
against  it;  but  President  Cleveland  kept  the  troops  in 
Chicago  till  mail  trains  were  again  free  from  molestation. 

The  Republicans  have  held  six  national  conventions  in 
Chicago:  that  of  1860  which  nominated  Lincoln  for  Presi- 
dent; 1868,  U.  S.  Grant;  1880,  James  A.  Garfield;  1884, 
James G.Blaine;  1888,  Benjamin  Harrison;  1908,  William 
H.  Taft.  The  Democrats  have  held  three  national  conven- 
tions there :  that  of  1864,  which  nominated  George  B.  McClel- 
lan;  1884,  Grover  Cleveland;  and  1896,  William  J.  Bryan. 


CHICAGO  185 

The  year  1900  saw  the  completion  of  the  great  Chicago 
Sanitary  Canal  which  reverses  the  current  of  the  Chicago 
River,  connects  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Illinois  River,  and 
furnishes  an  outlet  for  the  sewerage  of  Chicago.  The  entire 
length  of  the  canal  from  its  junction  with  the  Chicago 
River  at  Robey  Street  to  its  junction  with  the  Des  Plaines 
at  Lockport,  is  28  miles.  At  its  widest  point  it  is  290  feet 
wide  at  the  water  line.  At  Lockport  it  becomes  a  harbor 
500  feet  wide  to  accommodate  lake  vessels.  It  took  100,000 
laborers  seven  years  to  build  it,  at  a  cost  of  $33,000,000. 
It  is  the  greatest  work  ever  undertaken  for  the  sanitary 
betterment  of  a  city.  At  Lockport  the  water  flows  into  the 
Des  Plaines,  then  into  the  old  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
at  Joliet,  then  into  the  Illinois,  and  on  into  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Small  boats  can  now  pass  from 
Lake  Michigan  to  the  Gulf,  but  its  value  for  navigation 
depends  upon  the  further  improvement  of  the  Des  Plaines 
and  Illinois  rivers. 

Owing  to  the  lake  breeze  the  climate  of  Chicago  is  very 
healthful,  and  the  death  rate  is  lower  than  that  of  any 
other  city  of  over  half  a  million  inhabitants.  The  city  is 
comparatively  free  from  overcrowded  tenements.  Over 
100  hospitals  and  asylums  take  care  of  the  sick.  It  has 
one  of  the  most  extensive  park  systems  in  the  country.  It 
has  six  large  parks — Lincoln  Park  being  the  best  known— 
and  many  smaller  ones.  The  total  area  of  the  parks  is 
about  3,000  acres,  and  they  are  connected  with  70  miles 
of  boulevards. 

Though   removed   from   the   ocean,   Chicago's   harbors 


186  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

float  a  greater  tonnage  than  any  other  American  port  ex- 
cept New  York.  Her  commerce  exceeds  that  of  Boston, 
Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore  combined.  The  Chicago  River 
and  its  branches  afford  a  water  frontage  of  nearly  60  miles, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  used  for  the  shipment  and 
unloading  of  grain  and  lumber.  Dredging  has  made  the 
river  navigable  for  vessels  of  deep  draft. 

Chicago  is  the   greatest  railway  center  in  the  world, 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO 

whether  measured  by  traffic,  or  earnings,  or  mileage.  It  is 
the  terminus  of  32  trunk  lines  which  operate  about  thirty 
per  cent,  of  the  total  mileage  of  the  entire  country.  Nearly 
2.000  trains  enter  and  leave  Chicago  daily.  There  are  about 
2,600  miles  of  tracks  within  the  corporate  limits. 

Chicago  is  the  largest  grain  market  in  the  world,  the  great- 
est cattle  market,  and  has  the  largest  packing  houses.  Only 
London  and  New  York  surpass  her  in  manufactures.  Many 
of  her  factories  and  stores  are  among  the  largest  in  the 


CHICAGO  187 

world.  She  does  the  largest  mail  order  business,  has  the 
largest  trade  in  ready-made  clothing  and  men's  furnishing 
goods,  and  is  the  largest  hardware  market  in  the  world. 
She  sells  more  furniture  and  household  goods  than  any  other 
city,  is  the  greatest  market  for  agricultural  machinery,  and 
the  largest  producer  of  electrical  supplies.  In  finance  she 
ranks  fourth  among  the  great  cities  of  the  world,  being  led 
by  London,  New  York,  and  Paris  only, — which  is  a  remark- 
able showing  when  her  age  is  compared  with  theirs. 

Her  library  facilities  are  second  to  none  in  the  country. 
She  has  the  Chicago  Public  Library,  the  Newberry  Library, 
the  John  Crerar  Library,  Chicago  Historical  Library, 
besides  numerous  other  large  public  and  private  collections. 
She  is  the  home  of  many  famous  schools:  the  University 
of  Chicago,  Northwestern  University  and  Lake  Forest  Col- 
lege, Armour  Institute,  Rush  Medical  College,  and  many 
other  schools  and  colleges  of  all  kinds. 

Perhaps  every  nationality  of  the  world  is  represented  in 
Chicago.  In  1900  more  than  three  fourths  of  her  citizens 
were  either  foreign  born  or  the  children  of  foreign  parents. 


XXXIX.    UNDER  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  1870 

The  chief  object  of  the  constitution  of  1848  had  been 
to  provide  for  an  economical  administration  of  government 
and  to  free  the  state  from  debt.  But  by  1870  it  had  served 
its  purpose.  Great  abuses  had  grown  up  under  its  opera- 
tion. Governor  Palmer  said  of  it:  "The  history  of  the 
American  states  presents  no  example  of  a  government  more 
defective  or  vicious  than  that  of  the  state  of  Illinois." 

The  constitutional  convention  that  met  in  Springfield  in 
December,  1869,  was  one  of  the  ablest  deliberative  bodies 
that  ever  convened  in  the  state,  and  the  instrument  it 
framed  has  proved  a  model  for  state  government.  The  new 
constitution  has  been  effective  in  preventing  hasty  and 
fraudulent  legislation.  It  limits  the  power  of  the  legislature 
on  almost  every  subject  of  action.  It  provides  that  where 
a  general  law  can  be  made  applicable  no  special  law  shall 
be  enacted.  The  legislature  is  prohibited  from  granting 
special  privileges  to  cities  and  corporations,  as  they  are 
regulated  by  general  laws.  Railways  are  declared  to  be 
public  highways,  and  parallel  or  competing  lines  are  pro- 
hibited from  consolidating.  The  legislature  is  required  to 
prevent  unjust  discrimination  and  to  regulate  railroad  rates. 
Counties,  cities,  and  other  local  governments  are  limited 
in  the  amount  of  money  they  can  borrow.  The  new  con- 
stitution gives  the  governor  the  veto  power  and  provides 

188 


UNDER  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  1870  189 

that  no  bill  can  pass  over  his  veto  without  a  two-thirds 
majority  in  each  house.  It  renders  the  judiciary  uniform, 
establishes  appellate  courts,  and  provides  a  special  judiciary 
for  the  great  population  of  Chicago.  It  requires  the 
general  assembly  to  provide  an  efficient  system  of  free 
schools  where  all  the  children  of  the  state  can  secure  a  good 
common  school  education. 

The  state  government  is  composed  of  three  departments 
—the  executive,  judicial,  and  legislative.  The  executive 
department  consists  of  the  governor,  lieutenant  governor, 
secretary  of  state,  auditor  of  public  accounts,  treasurer, 
superintendent  of  public  instruction,  and  attorney-general. 
All  hold  office  for  four  years  with  the  exception  of  the 
treasurer,  who  is  elected  for  two  years  and  who  when  his 
term  is  over  is  ineligible  for  reelection  until  the  expiration 
of  two  years. 

The  governor  is  vested  with  the  supreme  executive  power 
of  the  state,  and  it  is  his  peculiar  duty  "to  take  care  that 
the  laws  be  faithfully  executed."  He  must  be  at  least  30 
years  of  age,  and  have  been  for  five  years  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  and  Illinois.  As  commander-in-chief  of 
the  military  and  naval  forces  he  may  call  them  into  service 
to  execute  the  laws,  'suppress  insurrection,  and  repel 
invasion.  At  the  beginning  of  each  session  of  the  legislature 
and  at  the  close  of  his  term  of  office  it  is  his  duty  to  send  a 
message  to  the  general  assembly  in  which  he  informs  them 
of  the  condition  of  the  affairs  of  the  state  and  recommends 
needed  legislation.  By  proclamation  he  may  convene  the 
general  assembly  in  extraofdinary  session,  or  adjourn  it 


190  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

in  case  of  disagreement  between  the  two  houses,  and  he 
may  approve  or  veto  the  bills  the  assembly  passes.  He 
may  make  requisition  upon  the  governors  of  other  states 
for  the  return  of  fugitives  from  justice,  and  offer  rewards 
for  the  apprehension  of  offenders  against  the  laws  of  the 
state,  and  he  may  pardon  criminals  or  lessen  their  sentences. 

The  lieutenant  governor  presides  over  the  senate  and  has 
the  power  to  cast  the  deciding  vote  in  case  of  a  tie.  He 
succeeds  to  the  office  of  governor  in  case  of  the  death, 
absence,  resignation,  conviction,  or  impeachment,  or  other 
disability  of  the  governor. 

-''The  secretary  of  state  is  charged  with  the  safe  keeping  of 
all  original  laws,  resolutions,  documents,  and  papers  of  the 
state.  It  is  his  duty  to  countersign  and  affix  the  seal  of 
the  state  to  all  proclamations  and  commissions  issued  by 
the  governor,  and  to  supervise  the  printing  and  distribution 
of  laws  and  public  documents.  Reissues  charters  to  cor- 
porations, towns,  villages,  and  cities;  he  calls  the  house  of 
representatives  together  at  the  beginning  of  each  general 
assembly  and  presides  until  the  election  of  a  speaker.  He 
has  charge  of  the  capitol  buildings  and  grounds  and  is  the 
keeper  of  the  great  seal  and  the  standard  weights  and 
measures. 

The  auditor  is  required  to  keep  all  the  accounts  of  the 
state,  and  without  his  order  or  warrant  no  money  can  be 
received  or  paid  out  by  the  treasurer,  who  is  the  custodian 
of  the  money  of  the  state. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  superintendent  of  public  instruction 
to  exercise  a  general  supervision  over  all  the  public  schools 


UNDER  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  1870  191 

of  the  state;  to  be  the  adviser  of  the  county  superintendents; 
to  grant  state  certificates  to  teachers;  and  visit  such  state 
charitable  institutions  as  are  educational  in  character. 
He  must  report  to  the  governor  the  general  condition  of 
the  schools  and  the  school  funds. 

The  attorney-general  is  the  legal  adviser  of  the  state 
officials  and  the  general  assembly,  and  it  is  his  duty  to 
represent  the  state  in  the  supreme  court  of  Illinois  in  all 
cases  in  which  the  state  is  interested. 

The  judicial  department  of  the  state  government  is  made 
up  of  the  circuit  courts,  the  appellate  courts,  and  the 
supreme  court. 

The  circuit  courts  have  "original  jurisdiction  of  all  cases 
of  law  and  equity,"  and  they  hear  appeals  from  county  and 
other  local  courts.  At  present  the  state  is  divided  into  18 
judicial  circuits;  Cook  County  makes  a  circuit  by  itself,  but 
elsewhere  three  or  more  counties  are  combined.  Cook 
County  has  fourteen  circuit  judges,  and  each  of  the  other 
circuits  three  judges;  all  these  judges  are  elected  by  the 
people  once  in  six  years.  Sessions  of  the  circuit  court  are 
held  in  each  county,  and  each  court  is  presided  over  by  one 
of  the  circuit  judges. 

The  state  is  divided  into  four  appellate  court  districts,— 
Cook  County,  the  northern,  central,  and  southern  portions 

% 

of  the  state.  In  each  appellate  district  the  supreme  court 
chooses  and  sets  apart  three  circuit  judges  to  be  appellate 
judges.  They  hear  certain  appeals  from  circuit  and  county 
courts,  and  their  decision  is  final  in  all  cases  in  which  the 
amount  in  dispute  is  less  than  $1,000.  They  do  not  have 


192  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

jurisdiction  in  criminal  cases,  nor  in  cases  where  the  validity 
of  the  law  is  in  question,  as  such  cases  must  be  appealed 
directly  to  the  supreme  court. 

The  supreme  court — the  highest  state  court — consists 
of  seven  judges  elected  for  a  term  of  nine  years.  The  office 
of  chief  justice  is  held  in  turn  by  the  different  members.  It 
holds  its  sessions  in  the  capitol.  Four  judges  must  agree  in 
order  to  decide  a  case.  It  is  the  court  of  appeal  from  the 
appellate,  circuit,  and  county  courts,  and  its  decision  is  final 
except  in  cases  involving  a  state  law  which  conflicts  with  a 
Federal  law;  such  cases  may  be  carried  to  the  United  States 
Supreme  Court. 

On  account  of  its  great  population  Cook  County  has 
need  of  extra  courts.  Instead  of  three  circuit  judges  it  has 
fourteen.  Two  special  courts — the  superior  court  of  Cook 
County,  and  the  criminal  court  of  Cook  County — do  part 
of  the  work  of  the  circuit  courts.  It  also  has  an  extra 
or  branch  appellate  court. 

The  general  assembly  or  legislature  consists  of  two 
houses,  the  senate  and  the  house  of  representatives.  To  it 
belongs  every  power  in  state  affairs,  not  especially  denied  it 
by  the  constitution  or  delegated  to  some  other  department. 
For  the  election  of  its  members  the  state  is  divided  every 
ten  years  by  the  legislature  into  51  senatorial  districts  of 
equal  population.  These  districts  generally  include  more 
than  one  county,  but  Cook  County  has  18  senatorial  dis- 
tricts, or  more  than  one  third  the  whole  number.  The 
people  of  each  senatorial  district  elect  one  senator  and  three 
representatives.  The  senators  are  elected  for  four  years, 


UNDER  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  1870  193 

the  representatives  for  two  years.  The  three  representa- 
tives are  chosen  by  the  plan  of  minority  representation. 
That  is,  each  voter  casts  three  votes  for  representatives; 
he  may  cast  all  for  one  candidate,  or  give  one  and  a  half 
votes  to  each  of  two,  or  one  vote  to  each  of  the  three;  thus 
any  party  supported  by  more  than  one  fourth  of  the  votes 
of  the  district  can,  usually,  by  uniting  on  one  candidate 
secure  his  election. 

The  regular  session  of  the  general  assembly  begins  on 
the  first  Wednesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  January  of 
the  odd-numbered  years.  A  majority  of  all  the  members 
elected  in  each  house  constitutes  a  quorum.  Each  house 
is  judge  of  the  right  of  its  members  to  their  places,  and  may 
expel  members  by  a  two-thirds  vote.  While  in  attendance 
members  cannot  be  arrested  except  for  "treason,  felony, 
or  breach  of  peace."  They  cannot  be  held  to  account  else- 
where for  anything  said  by  them  in  either  house.  The 
lieutenant  governor  presides  over  the  senate  and  has  the 
right  to  vote  only  in  case  of  a  tie.  The  house  of  repre- 
sentatives chooses  one  of  its  members  for  speaker  or  presid- 
ing officer.  He  has  a  vote  on  all  questions,  signs  all  bills 
passed  by  the  house,  and  appoints  nearly  all  the  commit- 
tees. The  committees  practically  control  legislation,  and 
since  the  speaker  appoints  them  and  may  recognize  or  ignore 
members  on  the  floor  of  the  house  according  as  he  approves 
or  disapproves  of  their  measures,  his  influence  is  great. 

Bills  may  originate  in  either  house  and  may  be  amended 
or  rejected  by  the  other.  When  a  bill  is  introduced  it  is 
referred  to  some  committee  for  consideration.  If  the 

Illinois— 13 


194  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

committee  favorably  reports  on  the  bill,  it  is  read  three 
times  in  full  on  different  days  and  printed  before  the  final 
vote  is  taken.  No  bill  becomes  a  law  unless  it  is  voted  for 
by  a  majority  of  all  members  of  each  house.  When  it 
passes  both  houses  it  is  sent  to  the  governor,  who  signs  it 
if  he  approves  of  it,  or  returns  it  with  his  veto  if  he  does 
not  wish  it  to  become  a  law.  A  two-thirds  vote  of  both 
houses  is  needed  to  pass  a  bill  over  the  governor's  veto. 
The  constitution  requires  each  house  to  keep  a  journal  of 
its  proceedings,  which  is  published,  and  in  which  is  recorded 
the  vote  of  each  member  on  the  passage  of  all  bills. 

The  house  of  representatives  has  the  power  of  impeach- 
ing any  state  officer.  But  all  impeachments  must  be  tried 
by  the  senate,  and  no  person  can  be  convicted  without  the 
concurrence  of  two  thirds  of  all  the  senators  elected. 

The  governor  has  the  power  of  appointing  a  large  num- 
ber of  state  officers.  Among  them  are  the  following:  the 
adjutant  general,  who  next  to  the  governor  is  the  chief 
officer  of  the  militia,  and  other  officers  of  the  militia;  a 
state  veterinarian;  justices  of  the  peace  for  Chicago;  nota- 
ries public  in  all  places  in  Illinois ;  a  superintendent  of  bank- 
ing, who  supervises  the  savings  banks  of  the  state;  a  state 
entomologist  who  studies  the  insects  of  the  state,  par- 
ticularly those  injurious  to  the  farmer  and  gardener;  a  chief 
grain  inspector;  a  printer  expert,  who  assists  in  letting  the 
contracts  for  state  printing;  an  insurance  superintendent, 
who  supervises  all  insurance  companies  doing  business  in 
the  state;  and  officers  for  the  prevention  of  cruelty  to  ani- 
mals in  Cook  County,  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  Peoria. 


XL.    STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS 

Much  of  the  executive  work  of  the  state  government  is 
done  -by  boards  or  commissions,  the  members  of  which  are 
nominated  by  the  governor  and  confirmed  by  the  senate. 
The  number  of  commissioners  and  the  term  of  office  vary 
in  the  different  commissions,  and  some  of  the  commissions 
serve  without  pay. 

The  following  boards  look  after  the  public  safety: 
The  State  Board  of  Health,  established  in  1877,  has  gen- 
eral supervision  of  the  health  of  the  people  of  the  state.  Its 
duty  is  to  prevent  the  introduction  and  spread  of  -all  conta- 
gious diseases.  It  must  examine  all  persons  desiring  to 
practice  medicine  in  Illinois  and  issue  certificates  to  those 
found  competent.  It  is  also  charged  with  the  examining 
and  licensing  of  embalmers.  It  must  record  all  births  and 
deaths  in  the  state.  Among  the  features  of  its  work  of  late 
have  been  the  investigation  of  the  water  supply  and  sew- 
age disposal  of  the  towns  and  cities  of  Illinois,  its  campaign 
against  unsanitary  lodging  houses,  and  its  battle  against 
tuberculosis.  The  State  Board  of  Pharmacy,  established  in 
1881,  is  charged  with  the  duty  of  examining  all  who  desire 
to  practice  pharmacy  in  the  state,  and  issuing  certificates 
to  such  as  are  found  qualified.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  State 
Board  of  Dental  Examiners,  established  in  1881,  to  secure  a 
uniform  standard  of  instruction  in  the  dental  schools,  and 

195 


196  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

to  examine  and  license  the  dentists  of  the  state.  The 
State  Board  of  Examiners  of  Architects,  established  in  1897, 
licenses  those  who  are  qualified  to  practice  as  architects. 

To  prevent  fraud  and  to  protect  the  public  health,  laws 
have  been  passed  against  the  sale  and  manufacture  of  un- 
clean, adulterated,  or  misbranded  food  stuffs.  Prepared 
food  stuffs  must  not  be  labeled  in  a  manner  that  deceives 
the  purchaser  as  to  their  ingredients.  Dairy  products 
especially  must  not  be  unhealthful  or  adulterated.  It  is 
the  duty  of  the  State  Food  Commissioners  to  enforce  these 
pure  food  laws  and  prevent  so  far  as  possible  adulterations 
and  frauds  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  food  stuffs.  The 
commission  must  inspect  all  places  where  food  is  manu- 
factured, and  examine  such  articles  of  food  as  it  may 
suspect  are  impure,  unhealthful,  or  counterfeit,  and  bring 
about  the  prosecution  of  such  persons  as  are  found  violating 
the  pure  food  laws  of  the  state.  It  has  been  successful  in 
exposing  and  driving  from  the  state  many  frauds. 

The  agricultural  interests  of  the  state  are  cared  for  by 
the  following: 

The  Department  of  Agriculture  (created  in  1872),  which 
is  administered  by  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  made  up 
of  members  from  each  congressional  district  of  the  state, 
has  sole  control  of  the  state  fairs  which  are  held  each  year 
at  Springfield.  The  fair  grounds  consist  of  156  acres  and 
are  as  well  equipped  as  any  in  the  Union.  The  buildings 
are  modern  and  substantial,  and  the  annual  exhibit  of  live 
stock,  farm  products,  vehicles,  and  farming  implements  is 
the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  country. 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  197 

In  1895  an  important  act  was  passed  by  the  legislature, 
creating  the  Illinois  Farmers'  Institute,  the  purpose  of 
which  is  to  assist  and  encourage  useful  education  among 
the  farmers,  and  to  develop  the  agricultural  resources  of 
Illinois.  Under  the  supervision  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
the  Institute  holds  an  annual  public  meeting  of  delegates 
from  the  county  institutes  and  of  the  farmers  of  the  state. 
This  meeting  is  of  at  least  three  days'  duration,  and  is  for 
the  purpose  of  public  discussion  of  such  subjects  as  the 
cultivation  of  crops,  the  care  and  breeding  of  domestic 
animals,  dairy  husbandry,  horticulture,  farm  drainage, 
improved  highways,  and  general  farm  management.  The 
state  makes  appropriations  for  the  expenses  of  the  Institute 
and  prints  for  distribution  among  the  farmers  the  addresses 
given  at  the  annual  meeting  on  practical  and  scientific 
agriculture.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  Institute  to  dissemi- 
nate and  popularize  the  results  of  the  experiments  of  the 
State  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Experimental  Station 
at  Urbana.  State  and  county  domestic  science  associa- 
tions are  affiliated  with  the  Institute.  Care  is  also  taken  to 
have  the  children  of  the  public  schools  instructed  in 
agriculture.  The  increasing  interest  of  the  farmers  of 
Illinois  in  the  adoption  of  a  more  scientific  attitude  toward 
crop  production  and  allied  subjects  is  in  large  measure  due 
to  the  work  and  influence  of  the  Farmers'  Institute,  and  it 
has  materially  enhanced  the  grand  total  of  agricultural 
wealth  in  the  state  during  the  past  decade. 

The  Lire  Stock  Commission,  created  in  1885,  seeks  to 
prevent  the  introduction  and  spread  of  contagious  and  in- 


198  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

fectious  diseases  among  cattle,  horses,  sheep,  and  other 
domestic  animals.  To  this  end  the  state  veterinarian  and 
about  fifty  assistants  in  different  parts  of  the  state  are 
working  under  the  direction  of  the  board. 

The  office  of  state  entomologist  was  established  in  1867. 
This  official  is  required  to  study  the  entomology  of  Illinois, 
and  particularly  to  investigate  all  insects  injurious  to 
agriculture  and  horticulture,  to  the  vegetable  garden  and 
shade  trees,  to  the  products  of  mills  and  the  contents  of 
warehouses  and  all  other  valuable  property.  He  is  charged 
with  the  annual  inspection  of  all  nurseries  of  fruit  trees  in 
Illinois.  He  is  required  to  investigate  and  conduct  exper- 
iments for  the  arrest  and  control  of  insects  injurious  to 
person  and  property  and  public  health,  and  report  his  dis- 
coveries to  the  people. 

The  commercial  and  industrial  welfare  of  the  state  is 
looked  after  by  the  following  commissions: 

The  Railroad  and  Warehouse  Commission  has  general 
supervision  and  jurisdiction  over  the  railroads  and  public 
warehouses  of  Illinois.  It  is  required  to  make  inspection 
of  the  railroads  of  the  state  as  regards  the  safety  of 
the  bridges,  trestles,  tracks,  and  crossings;  to  compel  the 
railroads  to  comply  with  the  recommendations  of  the 
commission  relating  to  switches,  signals,  and  safety  appli- 
ances; and  in  all  ways  to  see  that  the  railroads  are  managed 
for  the  safety  and  accommodation  of  the  public  and  accord- 
ing to  state  law.  It  fixes  the  maximum  rate  of  charges 
for  the  transportation  of  passengers  and  freight  within  the 
state,  and  requires  a  comprehensive  report  annually  from 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  199 

every  railroad  doing  business  in  the  state.  It  has  the 
same  supervision  over  interurban  electric  roads  that  it 
has  over  steam  roads.  The  commissioners  are  required 
to  see  to  the  accommodation  and  security  of  all  public 
warehouses,  and  all  grain  inspection  is  under  their  control. 

The  Insurance  Department  of  the  State  of  Illinois  was 
created  by  act  of  the  legislature  in  1893.  It  is  administered 
by  the  insurance  superintendent,  whose  duty  it  is  to  enforce 
the  laws  regarding  life,  fire,  accident,  and  other  kinds  of  in- 
surance, and  protect  the  policy  holders  from  fraud  and  loss. 
The  department  is  charged  with  the  examination  of  the 
condition  and  affairs  of  all  insurance  companies  operating 
in  the  state,  the  collection  of  all  taxes  and  fees  from  com- 
panies, the  examination  and  custody  of  all  securities  re- 
quired by  the  state  law  to  be  deposited  by  the  companies. 

Many  of  the  questions  that  have  been  before  the  people 
of  the  state  for  settlement  have  sprung  out  of  the  vast  and 
rapid  development  of  industry.  Since  Illinois  has  exten- 
sive railroad  and  manufacturing  interests,  the  contest  be- 
tween labor  and  capital  has  been  at  times  very  sharp  here. 
Among  the  most  serious  of  the  many  strikes  may  be  men- 
tioned the  following,  in  which  state  troops  were  called  out 
and  lives  lost:  the  railroad  strike  of  1877  at  Chicago,  East 
St.  Louis,  and  elsewhere,  when  United  States  troops  were 
called  upon  to  preserve  order  in  Chicago;  riots  in  the  min- 
ing districts  of  the  state,  1883;  railroad  strikes  in  Chi- 
cago and  East  St.  Louis,  the  strike  at  the  McCormick 
Harvester  works,  and  the  Haymarket  riot,  Chicago,  1886; 
the  railroad  strike  of  1894  at  Chicago,  the  worst  in  the  his- 


200  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tory  of  Illinois,  in  which  twelve  lives  were  lost  and  more 
than  half  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  property  was  destroyed. 
Among  the  coal  miners'  strikes  especially  notable  were  those 
at  Pana  and  Virden,  1897-98.  To  adjust  such  differences 
between  employers  and  employees  tlje  State  Board  of  Arbi- 
tration was  created  in  1895.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  board  to 
investigate  strikes  and  lockouts  upon  the  joint  petition  of 
the  parties  in  disagreement  and  legally  to  enforce  its  ruling 
and  decision ;  or  to  investigate  strikes  and  lockouts  upon  the 
petition  of  one  of  the  parties  or  upon  its  own  motion,  with- 
out petition  from  either  of  the  parties  directly  involved,  and 
to  attempt  to  adjust  such  strikes  and  lockouts  by  media- 
tion or  conciliation. 

*  In  many  ways  the  state  seeks  to  protect  the  interest  of 
the  laboring  classes.  Laws  have  been  passed  for  factory 
inspection  and  have  brought  about  more  sanitary  work- 
shops. The  state  also  seeks  to  protect  child  laborers  and 
as  much  as  possible  to  prevent  child  labor.  No  child  under 
14  years  can  lawfully  be  employed  in  a  factory  or  elsewhere 
for  wages  during  the  time  the  public  schools  are  in  session 
nor  at  any  time  for  more  than  eight  hours  a  day.  No  child 
between  14  and  16  years  is  allowed  to  labor  for  wages  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  parents  and  permission  from  the 
school  authorities.  Children  under  16  years  are  prohibited 
from  working  in  such  places  as  are  injurious  to  their  health 
or  morals.  In  1893  was  established  a  Board  of  Factory 
and  Workshop  Inspectors,  consisting  of  a  chief  inspector 
and  nineteen  assistants,  whose  duty  it  is  to  enforce  the 
child  labor  law,  and  the  laws  regulating  the  manufacture 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  201 

of  garments  and  wearing  apparel,  and  to  inspect  the  general 
conditions  of  the  factories  of  the  state.  The  inspectors, 
working  with  other  organizations  and  societies,  have 
effected  a  greatly  increased  school  attendance  and  an 
improved  condition  among  juvenile  workers.  About  50,000 
establishments  are  inspected  annually. 

In  1879  the  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  was  established. 
The  members  of  the  bureau,  called  the  Commissioners  of 
Labor,  collect  statistics  on  the  industrial,  social,  educational, 
and  sanitary  conditions  of  the  laboring  classes  of  Illi- 
nois, and  on  the  prosperity  of  the  manufacturing  and 
productive  industries.  The  commissioners  of  labor  have 
supervision  over  the  three  free  employment  agencies  in 
Chicago  and  the  agency  at  Peoria.  Many  thousands  have 
found  situations  through  these  free  agencies.  The  com- 
missioners of  labor  also  appoint  the  members  of  the  State 
Mining  Board  (created  in  1883),  whose  duty  is  to  examine 
and  license  mine  inspectors,  mine  managers,  mine  examin- 
ers, and  hoisting  engineers.  Through  the  influence  of  the 
mining  board,  a  great  advance  has  been  made  in  the 
management,  operation,  and  safety  of  the  mines  of  the 
state. 

The  State  Board  of  Equalization  was  established  in  1867 
and  consists  of  one  member  from  each  of  the  senatorial  dis- 
tricts of  the  state.  The  duty  of  the  board  is  to  examine  the 
abstracts  of  assessments  returned  to  the  state  auditor 
from  the  several  counties  and  to  equalize  the  assessments 
between  the  counties  so  that  property  of  like  value  shall 
be  taxed  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the  state. 


202  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

The  Court  of  Claims,  created  in  1877,  consists  of  three 
lawyers  whose  duty  is  to  hear  and  determine  all  unad- 
justed claims  against  the  state,  of  whatever  nature. 

As  early  as  1851  there  was  a  state  geologist  whose  duty 
it  was  to  make  a  geological  and  mineralogical  survey  of  the 
state,  but  it  was  not  until  1905  that  there  was  established 
at  the  University  of  Illinois  a  bureau  known  as  the  State 
Geological  Survey,  under  the  direction  of  the  State  Geo- 
logical Commission  composed  of  the  governor  of  Illinois, 
the  president  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  and  one  other 
competent  person  appointed  by  the  governor.  The  com- 
mission appoints  a  director  who,  with  his  assistants  and 
deputies,  makes  a  scientific  survey  and  study  of  the  geo- 
logical formation  of  the  state  with  special  reference  to 
coals,  ores,  clays,  building  stones,  cement,  materials  for 
use  in  the  construction  of  roads,  gas,  mineral  and  arte- 
sian waters,  and  other  mineral  resources,  and  who  pre- 
pares geological  and  other  necessary  maps  and  reports. 
The  Illinois  State  Museum  at  Springfield  is  under  this 
commission. 

The  duties  of  the  State  Highway  Commission  (established 
in  1905)  are,  according  to  the  law,  "to  investigate  and  to 
carry  on  such  experimental  work  in  road  building,  different 
methods  of  road  construction,  kinds  of  material  and 
system  of  drainage  as  will  enable  it  to  determine  upon  the 
various  methods  of  road  construction  best  adapted  to  the 
various  sections  and  soils  of  the  state,  the  cost  of  the  same, 
and  recommend  standards  for  the  construction  of  high- 
ways in  the  various  sections  of  the  state.  It  may  be  con- 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  203 

suited  by  county,  city,  or  village  officers  having  authority 
over  highways  and  bridges,  and  shall,  when  requested, 
advise  and  give,  without  charge,  information  to  such  officers 
relative  to  the  construction,  repairing,  alteration,  and  main- 
tenance of  said  highways  and  bridges." 

At  the  head  of  the  Building  Department  of  Illinois  is  the 
state  or  supervising  architect,  who  has  supervisory  power 
over  the  planning  and  construction  of  state  buildings. 

The  various  canals  of  the  state  are  under  the  supervision 
of  boards  and  commissions  appointed  by  the  governor. 

In  recent  years  many  laws  have  been  passed  looking 
toward  the  protection  and  increase  of  the  fish  and  game  of 
the  state.  It  is  unlawful  to  fish  with  a  net  or  seine  during 
certain  seasons,  or  without  a  license.  It  is  unlawful  to 
place  such  obstructions  in  streams  as  will  prevent  the 
free  passage  of  fish  up  and  down  the  water  ways  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  state.  Except  at  certain  specified  times 
it  is  not  lawful  to  hunt,  kill,  or  entrap  partridges,  prairie 
chickens,  quails,  snipe,  plovers,  wild  geese,  ducks,  or  other 
water  fowl.  It  is  unlawful  to  destroy  the  nest  or  remove 
the  eggs  from  the  nest  of  any  birds  mentioned  above. 
Squirrels  may  be  killed  only  during  certain  times.  It  is 
unlawful  at  any  time  to  take  or  kill  any  deer,  wild  turkey, 
pheasant,  or  other  bird  except  game  birds,  crows,  English 
sparrows,  and  hawks.  Except  upon  his  own  farm  land  or 
land  which  he  rents  it  is  unlawful  for  any  one  to  hunt 
without  a  license.  To  the  State  Game  Commissioner  is 
committed  the  enforcement  of  the  game  laws.  In  this  he 
is  assisted  by  ten  game  wardens  and  one  or  more  deputy 


204  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

game  wardens  in  each  county.  It  is  his  duty  to  seek  to 
introduce  new  varieties  of  game  into  the  state,  as  well  as 
to  increase  the  native  varieties.  To  this  end  as  many  as 
20,000  quails  have  been  brought  into  the  state  from  the 
South  in  one  year.  In  Sangamon  County  there  is  a  pros- 
perous state  game  propagating  farm  where  thousands  of 
such  birds  as  pheasants,  quails,  and  prairie  chickens  are 
hatched  for  distribution  throughout  the  state.  The  State 
Board  of  Fish  Commissioners  was  created  in  1879.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  commission  to  establish  fish  hatcheries,  and  to 
take  all  necessary  measures  for  the  propagation  of  native 
food  fishes  as  well  as  for  the  introduction  of  new  varieties 
into  the  waters  of  the  state,  and  to  enforce  the  statutes  re- 
lating to  the  protection  of  fish. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  the  state  commissions  is 
the  Board  of  Public  Charities.  It  was  established  in  1869 
upon  the  recommendation  of  Governor  Oglesby.  It  con- 
sists of  five  members  appointed  by  the  governor  for  five 
years.  They  serve  without  pay,  but  have  an  allowance  for 
expenses.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  board  to  visit  and  inspect 
twice  each  year  all  state  charitable  and  correctional  institu- 
tions and  all  private  institutions  receiving  state  aid,  and 
to  inspect  annually  all  county  almshouses  and  jails.  It  is 
given  unlimited  authority  in  investigation,  recommenda- 
tion, and  report,  but  no  authority  in  administration  or 
correction  of  abuses.  The  board  has  power  to  fix  the 
boundaries  of  districts  for  the  several  insane  hospitals.  It 
is  required  to  report  annually  to  the  governor  upon  the 
institutions  under  its  supervision  as  regards  *the  methods 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  205 

of  instruction  in  use,  the  government  and  management  of 
the  inmates,  the  official  conduct  of  the  officers,  the  condition 
of  the  buildings  and  grounds,  the  financial  management, 
the  efficiency  of  each  institution  in  accomplishing  the 
object  of  its  creation,  and  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
usefulness  and  good  management  of  each  of  the  institu- 
tions. In  1905  the  board  had  under  its  supervision  seven- 
teen state  charitable  institutions  with  an  aggregate  of 
14,500  inmates.  The  following  are  the  institutions  under 
its  control: 

The  state  has  seven  institutions  for  the  insane.  Miss 
Dorothea  L.  Dix,  the  famous  philanthropist,  in  1846  visited 
Illinois  and  appealed  to  the  state  legislature  to  establish  a 
hospital  for  the  insane  of  the  state,  and  the  following  year 
an  asylum  was  ^established  at  Jacksonville,  now  called  the 
Central  Hospital  for  the  Insane.  The  other  institutions  were 
established  as  follows :  Southern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  at 
Anna,  1869 ;  Eastern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  Kankakee,  1877 ; 
Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  Elgin,  1869;  Western  Hos- 
pital for  the  Insane,  Watertown,  1895;  Asylum  for  the 
Incurable  Insane,  Peoria,  1895;  Asylum  for  Insane  Crim- 
inals, Chester,  1889.  These  seven  asylums  have  a  total 
of  about  9,000  inmates.  They  are  well  equipped  with 
buildings  and  accommodations,  and  could  carry  on  their 
existence  in  a  large  measure  independent  of  the  outside 
world,  with  their  water  and  sewerage  systems,  carpenter, 
machine,  and  shoe  shops,  libraries,  amusement  halls,  print- 
ing offices,  and  the  like. 

The  Asylum  for  Feeble-Minded  Children,  at  Lincoln-,  has 


206  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

been  established  since  1865.  The  object  of  the  institution 
is  to  furnish  such  training  and  education  to  the  feeble- 
minded children  of  the  state  as  they  are  capable  of  receiv- 
ing, and  to  fit  them  as  far  as  possible  for  future  usefulness. 

The  School  for  the  Deaf,  at  Jacksonville,  is  the  oldest  of 
the  state  charitable  institutions,  as  the  act  creating  it  was 
passed  in  1839.  Besides  giving  the  deaf-mutes  a  common 
school  education  and  teaching  them  means  of  communica- 
tion with  others,  the  school  instructs  them  in  such  arts 
and  industries  as  woodworking,  photography,  shoemaking, 
printing,  painting,  gardening,  and  the  domestic  sciences. 

The  School  for  the  Blind,  at  Jacksonville,  established  in 
1849,  has  over  200  pupils.  Without  charge  or  expense  they 
are  given  intellectual  training  and  are  taught  to  work  with 
their  hands,  so  that  many  of  them  become  self-supporting. 
The  Industrial  Home  for  the  Blind,  at  Chicago  (founded  in 
1887),  besides  affording  a  home  for  the  blind,  provides  in- 
struction for  them  in  self-supporting  trades. 

The  Charitable  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  at  Chicago,  was 
established  in  1858  as  a  private  institution,  and  became  a 
state  institution  in  1871.  Its  object  is  to  provide  free 
board,  medical  and  surgical  treatment  for  all  poor  residents 
of  Illinois  who  are  afflicted  with  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear, 
nose,  and  throat. 

The  Training  School  for  Girls  at  Geneva,  established  in 
1893,  and  the  Home  for  Boys  at  St.  Charles  (1901),  are  re- 
formatory and  educational  in  character. 

"The  Soldiers  and  Sailors'  Home  at  Quincy  was  established 
in  1885  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  a  home  for  Illinois's 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  207 

ex-soldiers  and  sailors  who  by  reason  of  old  age  or  other 
disability  have  become  unable  to  earn  a  livelihood.  The 
Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home  at  Normal  has  been  in  existence 
since  1865.  Besides  furnishing  a  home  it  has  given  intel- 
lectual and  industrial  training  to  an  average  of  about  400 
children  a  year.  The  Soldiers'  Widows'  Home,  at  Wilming- 
ton, has  since  1896  furnished  a  home  for  such  mothers, 
wives,  widows,  and  daughters  of  soldiers  and  sailors  as  are 
homeless,  friendless,  or  helpless. 

In  1899  the  legislature  provided  for  the  establishment 
of  the  Illinois  State  Colony  of  Epileptics. 

The  charitable  institutions  of  the  state  are  under  the 
direct  supervision  and  management  of  superintendents 
and  boards  of  trustees  appointed  by  the  governor.  In 
1905  the  State  Civil' Service  Commission  was  created.  It 
examines  all  those  desiring  employment  in  the  charitable 
institutions,  and  more  than  2,000  employees  in  these 
institutions  are  under  state  civil  service  regulations. 

The  state  penal  and  reformatory  institutions  are  the 
State  Penitentiary  at  Joliet,  the  Southern  Penitentiary  at 
Chester,  and  the  State  Reformatory  at  Pontiac.  The  first 
state  penitentiary  was  established  in  1827  at  Alton.  It 
consisted  of  25  cells.  The  site  and  buildings  were  sold  in 
1857  when  the  new  penitentiary  was  located  at  Joliet.  The 
last  of  the  criminals  were  removed  to  Joliet  in  1860.  During 
the  Civil  War  the  old  institution  was  used  by  the  Federal 
government  as  a  military  prison,  but  since  then  it  has  been 
torn  down.  The  State  Penitentiary  at  Joliet  is  located  on  a 
tract  of  172  acres.  The  cell  house  contains  900  cells  with 


208  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

capacity  for  1,800  inmates.  The  Southern  Penitentiary,  lo- 
cated at  Chester,  near  the  old  town  of  Kaskaskia,  was 
^created  by  act  of  1877.  The  cost  of  the  buildings  and 
grounds  was  about  $800,000.  It  has  capacity  for  1,600. 
Each  penitentiary  is  under  the  supervision  of  a  board  of 
trustees  and  a  warden  appointed  by  the  governor.  The 
State  Reformatory  at  Pontiac  was  established  in  1867.  A 
regular  military  organization  and  drill  is  maintained.  The 
curriculum  includes  all  branches  of  common  school  educa- 
tion and  instruction  in  manual  and  industrial  training. 
Substantially  all  the  inmates  of  the  reformatory  institutions 
are  employed  in  some  useful  occupation.  The  Board  of 
-  Prison  Industries  has  direction  and  supervision  of  the  man- 
ufacture and  sale  of  prison  products. 

73*  Many  laws  have  been  passed  looking  toward  the  better- 
ment of  the  condition  and  the  moral  reformation  of  the 
prisoners  in  the  penitentiaries.  They  are  the  wards  of  the 
state,  and  more  and  more  it  is  becoming  the  conviction  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  the  state  to  make  them  better  men  and 
women  so  far  as  possible  and  not  merely  to  punish  them  for 
their  crimes.  In  1872  an  act  was  passed  whereby  every 
convict  in  the  state  prisons  against  whom  is  recorded  no 
infraction  of  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  penitentiary 
or  the  state  laws,  and  who  performs  in  a  faithful  and  or- 
derly manner  the  duties  assigned  him,  is  entitled  to  a  cer- 
tain diminution  of  time  from  his  sentence.  In  1886  the 
following  amendment  became  a  part  of  the  state  consti- 
tution: "Hereafter  it  shall  be  unlawful  for  the  commis- 
sioners of  any  penitentiary  or  other  reformatory  institution 


STATE  BOARDS  AND  INSTITUTIONS  209 

in  the  state  of  Illinois  to  let  by  contract  to  any  person  or 
persons  or  corporation  the  labor  of  any  convict  within  said 
institution." 

The  law  provides  that  the  labor  of  the  prisons  shall  be 
directed  so  far  as  possible  with  reference  to  fitting  the  pris- 
oners to  maintain  themselves  by  honest  industry  after  their 
discharge  from  prison,  and  that  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
penitentiary  commissioners  to  adopt  such  rules  concerning 
all  prisoners  as  shall  not  only  prevent  them  from  returning 
to  criminal  courses,  but  help  them  to  accomplish  their 
reformation.  An  act  of  1899  established  a  parole  system 
whereby  prisoners,  except  those  guilty  of  such  crimes  as 
murder  and  treason,  may  after  a  certain  time,  provided 
their  behavior  has  been  good  in  the  penitentiary,  be  al- 
lowed to  go  upon  parole  outside  of  the  prison.  But  all  such 
may  be  imprisoned  again  without  trial  if  they  do  not  lead 
temperate  and  law-abiding  lives. 

In  1897  a  Board  of  Pardons  was  created,  consisting  of 
three  members  whose  duty  it  is  to  receive  and  thoroughly 
investigate  all  applications  for  pardons  and  commuta- 
tions of  sentences,  and  make  a  report  upon  each  case  to  the 
governor  with  their  conclusions  and  recommendations. 
Before  the  board  was  organized  all  petitions  for  pardon 
or  commutation  were  presented  directly  to  the  governor, 
but  as  there  were  a  large  number  of  such  petitions  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  give  them  the  careful  investigation 
that  their  importance  warranted.  The  board  of  pardons 
administers  the  parole  law  also. 

In  1899  an  act  was  passed  providing  that  circuit  courts 

Illinois — 14 


210  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

shall  have  jurisdiction  over  dependent,  neglected,  and 
delinquent  children.  In  Cook  County  one  or  more  of  the 
circuit  judges  are  chosen  to  hear  all  cases  relating  to  such 
children,  and  a  special  court  room  is  provided  for  this 
purpose.  These  Juvenile  Courts  may  commit  dependent 
and  neglected  children  to  some  training  or  industrial 
school  or  to  some  association  whose  object  is  to  care  for 
such  children.  Delinquent  children — that  is,  those  who 
show  a  disposition  to  crime — may  be  committed  to  the 
supervision  of  probation  officers  or  sent  to  a  state  home  or 
reformatory. 


XLI.    SCHOOLS 

The  schools  of  Illinois  which  are  supported  by  public 
taxation  and  which  furnish  free  instruction  to  the  children 
and  youth  of  the  state  are.  the  University  of  Illinois,  the 
five  State  Normal  Schools,  the  high  schools,  and  the  district 
schools. 

At  the  head  of  the  public  school  system  is  the  University 
of  Illinois  located  at  Urbana.  It  was  chartered  in  1867  to 
teach  such  branches  of  learning  as  related  to  agriculture 
and  the  mechanical  arts,  as  well  as  scientific  and  classical 
studies.  For  the  first  twenty  years  the  growth  of  the 
university  was  slow,  but  since  1888  the  legislature  has 
granted  large  appropriations  for  current  expenses  and  new 
buildings,  and  its  growth  has  been  rapid.  For  instance,  in 
1905  the  total  sum  granted  by  the  legislature  was  nearly 
$1,000,000.  It  has  twenty-three  buildings,  over  400  in- 
structors, and  more  than  4,000  students. 

The  state  maintains  five  normal  schools  to  prepare 
teachers  for  the  schools  of  Illinois.  The  Illinois  State 
Normal,  located  at  Normal,  was  established  in  1857,  and 
was  the  first  state  normal-  school  in  the  Mississippi  valley. 
The  Southern  Illinois  Normal  at  Carbondale  is  the  second 
oldest;  it  was  created  by  the  general  assembly  in  1869. 
The  Eastern  Illinois  Normal  at  Charleston  was  estab- 
lished in  1895,  the  Northern  Illinois  Normdl  at  De  Kalb 

211 


212 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


in  1895,  and  the  Western  Illinois  Normal  at  Macomb  in 
1899. 

In  1906  there  were  425  public  high  schools  in  Illinois, 
with  about  50,000  students.  They  graduate  about  5,500 
pupils  annually. 

There  are  in  the  state  about  13,000  public  free  schools, 


NORMAL  SCHOOL  AT  NORMAL 

requiring  the  services  of  about  27,500  teachers,  of  whom 
over  21,000  are  women.  According  to  the  school  census 
of  1906  there  were  987,036  pupils  enrolled  in  the  public 
schools,  or  about  two  thirds  of  the  population  of  the  state 
between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  years.  The  total 
cost  of  the  public  schools  is  about  $23,000,000  a  year.  In 
1900  the.  total  number  of  illiterates  in  Illinois  was  157,958, 
of  whom  86,668  were  foreign  born.  Thus  about  one 
thirtieth  of  the  entire  population  were  illiterate. 
'"  Since  1883  there  has  been  a  compulsory  education  law 
in  Illinois.  The  law  as  amended  in  1907  reads  as  follows: 


SCHOOLS  213 

"Every  person  having  control  of  any  child  between  the 
ages  of  seven  and  sixteen  years,  shall  annually  cause  such 
child  to  attend  some  public  or  private  school  for  the 
entire  time  during  which  the  school  attended  is  in  session, 
which  period  shall  not  be  less  than  110  days  of  actual 
teaching:  Provided,  however,  that  this  Act  shall  not 
apply  in  any  case  where  the  child  has  been  or  is  being 
instructed  for  a  like  period  of  time  in  each  and  every  year 
in  the  elementary  branches  of  education  by  a  person  or 
persons  competent  to  give  such  instruction,  or  where 
the  child's  physical  or  mental  condition  renders  his  or  her 
attendance  impracticable  or  inexpedient,  or  where  the  child 
is  excused  for  temporary  absence  for  cause  by  the  principal 
or  teacher  of  the  school  which  the  child  attends,  or  where 
the  child  is  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  sixteen 
years  and  is  necessarily  and  lawfully  employed  during  the 
hours  when  the  public  school  is  in  session." 

With  a  view  to  securing  a  more  unified  and  simple  scheme 
of  school  laws,  the  legislature  in  1907  created  an  Educa- 
tional Commission,  composed  of  the  superintendent  of  pub- 
lic instruction  and  six  persons  representing  the  various 
phases  of  educational  work  within  the  state,  whose  duty  it 
is  to  make  "a  thorough  investigation  of  the  common 
school  system  of  Illinois,  and  the  laws  under  which  it  is 
organized;  to  make  a  comparative  study  of  such  other 
school  systems  as  may  seem  advisable,  an<j  to  submit  to 
the  46th  General  Assembly  a  report  including  such  sugges- 
tions, recommendations,  revisions,  additions,  corrections 
and  amendments  as  the  commission  shall  deem  necessary." 


214  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Besides  the  public  school  system  of  the  state  there  are 
many  private  institutions  of  learning.  There  are  31  uni- 
versities, colleges,  and  technological  schools  in  Illinois, 
with  over  1,700  instructors  and  18,000  students. 

Closely  connected  with  the  educational  life  of  the  state 
are  the  public  libraries.  The  state  maintains  two  libraries 
at  Springfield,  the  State  Library,  and  the  State  Law  Library, 
which  together  contain  about  65,000  volumes.  There 
are  more  than  400  public,  school,  and  society  libraries  in 
Illinois  containing  more  than  1,000  volumes  each,  and  with 
a  total  of  about  four  million  volumes. 


XLII.    ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870 

The  history  of  Illinois  since  the  Civil  War  is  largely 
the  history  of  the  Union  of  which  it  is  so  prominent  a 
member.  It  has  shared  in  the  marvelous  progress,  pros- 
perity, and  material  development  of  the  nation.  What 
affects  the  welfare  of  Illinois  affects  the  welfare  of  the  other 
states,  and  the  prosperity  of  the  other  states  aids  the 
prosperity  of  Illinois. 

The  population  of  Illinois  has  nearly  doubled  since  1870. 
In  1900  the  native-born  population  was  3,854,803,  and  the 
foreign-born  population  966,747.  The  negro  population 
was  85,078.  The  following,  for  1900,  may  help  us  under- 
stand the  make-up  of  our  foreign  population : 

Total  No.  Natives  of  Germany,  Belgium,  &  Holland      .     .  328,479 

"  England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  &  Wales  203,338 

"       "          "        "  Sweden,  Norway,  Denmark    .     .     .  144,812 

"       "          "        "  Russia  and  Poland 96,657 

"  Austria  and  Bohemia 56,782 

"       "          "        "  Canada .  50,595 

"       "          "        "  Italy .  23,523 

"       "          "        "  France  and  Switzerland      ....  16,820 

"       "          "•       "  Greece 1,570 

"       "          "        "  China       1,462 

"       "          "        "  Japan 102 

Of  late  years  the  Slavic  immigration  has  been  on  the 
increase.  More  than  half  of  the  present  population  are 
children  of  foreign  parents. 

215 


216  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

In  1873  Major-General  John  M.  Palmer  was  succeeded 
as  governor  by  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  who  had  been  chief 
executive  of  the  state  from  1865  to  1869.  But  after 
serving  about  ten  days  of  his  second  term  Oglesby  re- 
signed to  become  United  States  senator  from  Illinois  to 
succeed  Lyman  Trumbull,  and  Lieutenant-Go vernor  John 
L.  Beveridge  became  governor  for  nearly  the  full  term, 
1873-77.  During  his  term  of  office  (1875)  a  bill  was  passed 
establishing  a  three-cent  railroad  fare. 

Illinois  has  passed  through  several  exciting  contests  over 
the  United  States  senatorship.  One  of  these  was  in  1877, 
when  the  two  great  parties  were  about  evenly  divided  in 
the  state  legislature.  After  many  ballots  the  Republicans 
elected  as  senator  David  Davis,  whom  President  Lincoln 
in  1863  had  appointed  Associate  Justice  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court. 

In  1877  Shelby  M.  Cullom  became  governor,  and  being 
reflected  in  1880  served  the  state  as  chief  executive  until 
1883,  when  he  resigned  to  become  United  States  senator. 
Besides  having  the  rare  honor  of  being  elected  to  succeed 
himself  as  governor  of  Illinois,  Cullom  was  afterwards  five 
times  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  Lieutenant- 
Go  vernor  John  M.  Hamilton  served  as  governor  from  1883 
to  1885.  In  1881  the  state  debt  was  paid  off.  In  1883 
the  Harper  High  License  Law  was  passed.  This  measure 
raised  the  license  of  dram  shops  to  not  less  than  $500  a 
year.  The  law  closed  many  places  where  liquor  was  sold, 
and  the  discussion  incident  to  its  adoption  led  to  a  wider 
knowledge  of  the  liquor  business  in  the  state. 


ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870  217 

A  unique  political  event  occurred  on  January  30,  1885, 
when  Richard  J.  Oglesby  was  inaugurated  governor  of 
Illinois  for  the  third  time,  an  honor  that  has  come  to  no 
one  else.  His  opponent  in  this  campaign  was  Carter  H. 
Harrison,  well  known  as  mayor  of  Chicago  for  many  years. 
The  same  year,  after  a  prolonged  contest,  the  Republicans 
elected  General  John  A.  Logan  to  the  United  States  Senate. 
During  the  first  two  years  of  Oglesby's  administration  there 
were  many  labor  troubles,  among  which  were  the  Joliet 
and  Lemont  quarrymen's  strike,  a  strike  at  the  McCormick 
Harvester  works,  a  railroad  strike  at  East  St.  Louis,  an 
anarchist  riot  in  Haymarket  Square,  Chicago,  and  the 
Union  Stock  Yards  strike.  It  was  necessary  for  the 
governor  to  call  out  the  state  troops  to  suppress  these 
strikes.  In  1887  provision  was  made  for  the  observance  of 
Arbor  Day  in  Illinois. 

The  present  state  capitol  was  completed  in  1888,  twenty 
years  after  the  corner  stone  was  laid.  It  was  first  occupied 
in  1876  while  in  an  unfinished  condition.  For  some  time 
there  was  strong  opposition  to  making  appropriations 
sufficient  to  complete  it,  and  work  was  suspended.  The 
extreme  length  of  the  capitol  from  north  to  south  is  379 
feet,  and  268  feet  from  east  to  west.  It  measures  361  feet 
from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  the  dome.  Its  outer  walls 
are  built  of  Niagara  limestone  from  the  quarries  of  Joliet 
and  Lemont.  It  is  three  stories  high  and  contains  the  offices 
of  the  governor  and  other  state  officials,  the  supreme  court 
room,  the  two  halls  of  the  general  assembly,  the  state 
libraries,  the  offices  of  the  different  state  boards  and  com- 


218  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

missions,  and  various  committee  rooms.  It  cost  about  four 
and  one-half  million  dollars.  At  the  time  it  was  finished 
there  was  no  other  state  building  in  the  nation  to  compare 
with  it  in  size  and  cost,  and  even  now  there  are  few  that 
surpass  it  in  beauty. 

General  John  M:  Palmer,  whom  the  Republicans  had 
elected  in  1869,  came  to  differ  with  his  party  on  the  tariff 
and  state  rights  questions,  and  was  nominated  by  the 
Democrats  for  governor  in  1888.  He  was  defeated  at  the 
polls  by  Joseph  W.  Fifer,  who  had  served  in  the  Civil  War 
as  -a  private  soldier.  General  Palmer  in  1891,  after  one  of 
the  most  exciting  contests  ever  held  in  Illinois,  was  elected 
United  States  senator  over  the  Republican  candidate,  Ex- 
Governor  Oglesby. 

In  1891  the  legal  rate  of  interest  was  reduced  to  5  per 
cent.  The  same  year  the  legislature  voted  means  for  re- 
moving the  dead  from  the  old  Kaskaskia  cemetery,  which 
the  Mississippi  River  was  threatening  to  wash  away,  and 
for  the  erection  of  a  suitable  monument  at  the  new  burying 
place  of  these  first  settlers  of  the  commonwealth.  In  1891, 
also,  the  Australian  system  of  balloting  at  all  general 
elections  was  adopted.  Under  this  system  the  state  pre- 
pares official  ballots  which  alone  may  be  voted.  It  secures 
for  the  voter  secrecy  of  the  ballot,  and  tends  to  free  elec- 
tions from  political  dictation. 

In  1892  occurred  the  dedication  of  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  at  Chicago.  The  same  year  Illinois  was  hon- 
ored by  having  Adlai  E.  Stevenson,  a  lawyer  of  Blooming- 
ton,  elected  Vice  President  of  the  United  States  on  the 


ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870  219 

Democratic  ticket.  Among  other  citizens  of  the  state  who 
have  served  the  Federal  government  in  positions  of  trust 
and  honor  are:  Melville  W.  Fuller,  of  Chicago,  appointed 
by  President  Cleveland  eighth  Chief  Justice  of  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court;  Walter  Q.  Gresham,  Postmaster- 
General  under  President  Arthur,  and  Secretary  of  State 
under  President  Cleveland;  Lyman  J.  Gage,  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  under  President  McKinley;  and  Joseph  G. 
Cannon,  Speaker  of  the  United  States  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. 

John  P.  Altgeld,  governor  in  1893-97,  was  the  first 
Democrat  since  the  Civil  War  to  serve  Illinois  as  chief 
executive.  He  was  born  in  Prussia,  came  to  this  country 
when  a  boy,  and  served  in  the  Union  ranks  during  the 
Civil  War.  He  was  the  author  of  several  books  on  live 
issues,  such  as  reform  in  the  penal  machinery  of  the  state. 
He  was  severely  censured  for  pardoning  three  anarchists 
who  were  in  prison  for  participating  in  the  Haymarket 
Riot,  of  1886.  The  chief  events  of  his  administration  were 
the  World's  Fair,  Chicago,  1893,  and  the  strike  of  railway 
employees,  1894.  The  national  campaign  of  1896,  when 
William  Jennings  Bryan  (who  was  born  and  educated 
in  the  state)  advocated  the  adoption  of  the  free  and  unlim- 
ited coinage  of  silver,  was  one  of  unprecedented  activity 
in  Illinois.  Both  Republicans  and  Democrats  established 
their  chief  headquarters  in  Chicago,  making  that  city  the 
center  of  the  nation's  political  life  for  the  time  being. 

In  1898,  during  the  administration  of  John  R.  Tanner 
(1897-1901),  occurred  the  Spanish- American  War.  Illinois 


220 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


took  a  prominent  part  in  this  struggle.  As  soon  as  war 
was  declared  an  extra  session  of  the  state  legislature  was 
called,  and  Illinois  was  the  first  of  all  the  states  to  offer  aid 
to  the  Federal  government.  Camp  Tanner,  at  Springfield, 
was  used  as  a  rendezvous  for  troops.  The  state  furnished 
nine  regiments  of  infantry,  one  of  cavalry,  and  one  battery 
of  light  artillery.  One  of  the  regiments  of  infantry  was 
made  up  of  colored  troops.  Part  of  the  Illinois  troops 
saw  service  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  and  not  a  few  met 

their  death  in  battle  or 
through  disease.  Many 
soldiers  from  Illinois 
saw  service  in  the  Phil- 
ippines also. 

In  1899  the  legisla- 
ture appropriated 
$100,000  to  rebuild  the 
Lincoln  Monument  at 
Oak  Ridge  Cemetery, 
Springfield.  The  mon- 
ument, which  originally 
cost  $200,000,  had  been 
dedicated  in  1874;  Presi- 
dent Grant  was  present  and  spoke  on  the  occasion.  The 
monument  had  settled  unevenly  and  was  otherwise  dis- 
integrating, and  it  was  necessary  to  take  it  down  and 
rebuild  it.  A  temporary  vault  was  built  to  contain  Presi- 
dent Lincoln's  remains.  The  monument,  rebuilt  on  the  old 
plan,  was  finished  in  1901. 


LINCOLN  MONUMENT  AT  SPRINGFIELD 


ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870  221 

In  1901  Richard  Yates,  son  of  Illinois's  famous  War 
Governor,  became  chief  executive.  He  was  the  first  gov- 
ernor of  Illinois  born  in  the  state.  In  1902  Illinois's  war 
claim  of  over  one  million  dollars  against  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment was  paid.  In  1903  the  site  of  old  Fort  Massac,  on 
the  Ohio  River,  became  the  property  of  the  state  and  was 
turned  into  a  public  park.  On  December  30,  1903,  occurred 
one  of  the  greatest  catastrophes  that  ever  befell  the  state, 
when  591  persons  lost  their  lives  in  the  Iroquois  Theater  fire, 
Chicago.  Illinois  was  properly  represented  by  a  splendid 
building  and  display  of  products  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition  held  at  St.  Louis,  1904.  Toward  the  close  of 
Governor  Yates's  term  he  announced  his  name  for  renomi- 
nation  subject  to  the  action  of  the  Republican  state  con- 
vention. The  convention  met  at  Springfield,  May  12, 1904, 
but  there  were  many  otter  names  before  that  body  and  it 
was  unable  to  make  a  choice  even  after  58  ballots  had  been 
taken.  So  on  May  20  a  recess  was  taken.  The  convention 
reassembled  May  31-  and  on  June  3  closed  the  most  pro- 
longed state  convention  ever  held  in  Illinois  by  nominating 
Charles  S.  Deneen,  of  Chicago,  who  was  chosen  governor  at 
the  following  election.  He  was  reflected  in  1908. 

In  1905,  in  the  statuary  hall  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington 
a  statue  to  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard  of  Illinois  was  erected. 
She  was  the  first  woman  in  the  history  of  the  nation  to  re- 
ceive this  form  of  recognition.  Among  other  Illinoisans 
who  have  been  the  means  of  uplifting  humanity  and  who 
have  stood  for  the  best  in  their  different  lines  of  work  are : 
Eugene  Field,  the  poet  of  childhood  and  one  of  the  best 


222  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

known  of  the  poets  of  America,  who  spent  most  of  his  life 
in  Chicago  and  wrote  most  of  his  verse  there;  Professor 
David  Swing,  religious  leader  and  thinker,  whose  memory 
and  work  are  cherished  by  many;  Dwight  L.  Moody,  who 
lived  as  a  young  man  in  Chicago  and  began  his  religious 
work  there;  Bishop  John  L.  Spalding  of  Peoria,  the  eminent 
Roman  Catholic  divine,  famous  for  his  oratory  and  his  in- 
terest in  education;  Theodore  Thomas,  founder  and  late 
conductor  of  the  Thomas  Orchestra  of  Chicago,  who  did 
much  to  foster  the  art  of  music  in  Illinois;  Mary  A.  Bicker- 
dyke,  a  well-known  nurse  during  the  Civil  War,  to  whom  a 
monument  has  lately  been  erected  at  Galesburg;  Mary  A. 
Livermore,  the  coworker  of  Miss  Willard;  Miss  Jane  Ad- 
dams,  the  well-known  settlement  worker  and  head  of  Hull 
House,  Chicago;  the  late  President  Harper  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago,  whose  lofty  ideals  and  genius  for  organiza- 
tion find  a  lasting  monument  in  the  university  itself. 
Among  the  novelists  of  Illinois  may  be  mentioned  Mary 
Hartwell  Catherwood,  Frank  Norris,  Randall  Parrish,  and 
Hamlin  Garland. 

The  Illinois  State  Historical  Society  was  incorporated 
in  1906,  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  the  study  of  the 
history  of  Illinois,  and  collecting  and  preserving  historical 
data  and  material  relating  to  the  state.  The  Society  holds 
annual  meetings  at  Springfield  and  publishes  in  book  form 
the  addresses  given  before  each  meeting.  The  work  of  the 
Illinois  State  Historical  Society  and  the  Illinois  State 
Historical  Library  are  nearly  identical,  but  the  Library  is 
the  older,  having  been  established  in  1889.  The  Library 


ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870  223 

has  about  20,000  volumes,  pamphlets,  and  documents  bear- 
ing upon  the  political,  physical,  religious,  and  social  history 
of  Illinois,  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  the  old  Northwest 
Territory.  It  is  especially  rich  in  books,  pictures,  man- 
uscripts, and  other  material  on  the  early  life  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.  The  Library  has  published  several  volumes 
dealing  with  early  Illinois  history. 

During  recent  years  there  has  been  much  dissatisfaction 
with  the  electing  of  United  States  senators  by  the  state 
legislatures,  and  it  has  been  urged  that  the  senators  should 
be  directly  answerable  to  the  people.  In  1907  the  Illinois 
General  Assembly  passed  a  joint  resolution  "That  applica- 
tion is  hereby  made  to  the  Congress  under  the  provisions 
of  Article  5  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  for  the 
calling  of  a  convention  to  propose  an  amendment  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  making  United  States 
senators  elective  in  the  several  states  by  direct  vote  of  the 
people/' 

In  1907  the  legislature  passed  a  bill  making  it  unlawful 
for  any  railroad  to  charge  more  than  two  cents  a  mile  for 
carrying  passengers  between  points  within  the  state,  pro- 
vided the  passengers  buy  tickets  before  entering  the  car; 
otherwise  three  cents  a  mile  may  be  charged. 

Following  the  example  of  many  other  states,  Illinois  in 
1907  passed  a  local  option  law  which  provides  that  town- 
ships as  a  whole  may  vote  on  the  question  whether  they 
shall  become  anti-saloon  territory  or  not.  In  the  eighteen 
counties  of  the  state  not  having  township  organization  the 
people  of  a  voting  precinct  (which  is  about  the  same  size 


224  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

as  the  township)  may  vote  on  whether  the  precinct  shall 
become  anti-saloon  territory.  Thus  the  farmers  who  have 
to  help  pay  the  taxes  are  given  a  vote  on  the  saloon  question. 
The  law  provides  that  the  vote  of  the  people  on  this 
matter,  which  before  was  advisory,  shall  be  binding  upon 
the  municipal  governing  body.  The  question  whether  the 
township,  or  village,  or  city  shall  become  anti-saloon  ter- 
ritory is  voted  upon  at  the  annual  election  of  the  town- 
ship, or  the  village,  or  the  city,  as  the  case  may  be.  But 
before  the  question  can  be  submitted  to  the  voters,  a 
petition,  asking  for  such  submission  and  containing  the 
names  of  at  least  one  fourth  of  the  total  number  of  voters 
of  the  political  subdivision,  must  be  filed  with  the  clerk  of 
the  political  subdivision,  at  least  60  days  before  the  elec- 
tion. All  territory  thus  created  anti-saloon  territory  shall 
so  continue  until  the  legal  voters  again  file  the  required 
petition  asking  for  another  vote  on  the  question.  But  the 
question  cannot  be  resubmitted  after  it  has  been  voted  upon 
until  eighteen  months  have  passed,  and  since  it  must  be 
voted  upon  at  a  regular  annual  election  the  vote  decides 
the  question  for  two  years.  Much  interest  has  been  taken 
in  the  working  of  the  law,  which  the  state  supreme  court 
has  upheld.  On  May  1,  1908,  mainly  through  the  passage 
of  the  law,  about  2,500,000  people  in  Illinois  were  living  in 
prohibition  districts,  36  counties  had  voted  out  the  saloon 
completely,  16  counties  were  dry  with  the  exception  of  one 
township,  and  7  counties  were  dry  except  for  two  townships. 
For  several  years  past  there  has  been  a  demand  for  a 
direct  primary  election  law,  and  the  state  legislature 


ILLINOIS  SINCE  1870  225 

passed  several  bills  which  were  either  unconstitutional  or 
unsatisfactory.  But  in  1908  a  special  meeting  of  the  legis- 
lature was  called  and  a  Direct  Primary  Law  was  passed,  the 
object  of  which  is  to  give  to  the  voters  a  larger  share  in 
selecting  the  candidates  of  their  parties.  According  to  its 
provisions  all  candidates  for  all  elective  state,  congressional, 
senatorial,  county,  city,  village,  town,  and  judicial  offices, 
are  nominated  by  the  direct  vote  of  the  people,  except  that 
the  state  conventions  have  the  power  to  nominate  pres- 
idential electors,  candidates  for  university  trustees,  and  to 
choose  delegates  to  the  national  conventions.  The  pri- 
maries are  held  at  the  regular  polling  places  and  under  the 
general  election  laws.  The  names  of  the  candidates  are 
printed  in  a  single  column,  and  the  person  securing  the 
highest  number  of  votes  at  a  primary  as  candidate  for  an 
office  is  the  candidate  of  that  party  for  such  office  and  his 
name  is  placed  on  the  official  ballot.  Any  party  casting 
more  than  two  per  cent,  of  the  total  vote  for  state  and 
county  officers  at  the  preceding  election  must  make  its 
nominations  according  to  this  law.  The  people  by  this 
method  may  also  nominate  the  United  States  senators  to 
be  elected  by  the  state  legislature. 

Illinois  is  comparatively  a  new  country,  and  of  necessity 
men  have  been  very  busy  providing  for  their  physical 
needs  and  comforts.  Yet  the  higher  and  better  things  of 
life  have  not  been  neglected.  The  churches  are  prosper- 
ous and  well  attended.  The  colleges  and  universities  are 
progressive  and  well  endowed.  Many  organizations  of  the 
state  are  doing  much  to  alleviate  the  condition  of  the  unfor- 

Illinois — 15 


226  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

tunate  and  to  uplift  the  lowly.  There  is  a  beginning  of  art 
and  literature.  Music  is  coming  to  take  a  large  place  in  the 
life  of  the  people.  We  have  a  population  of  readers.  The 
libraries  are  fast)  growing  in  importance,  and  many  new 
buildings  have  lately  been  erected.  In  spite  of  the  fact 
that  with  many  the  struggle  for  livelihood  is  stern  and  all- 
absorbing,  the  world  has  never  known  a  more  happy,  pros- 
perous, and  progressive  people. 


APPENDIX 

1.    CHRONOLOGY 

1673.     Illinois  River  explored  by  Joliet  and  Marquette. 

1675.     Marquette  founds  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 

at  Kaskaskia. 

1680.     La  Salle  builds  Ft.  Crevecoeur. 
1682.     Ft.  St.  Louis  of  the  Rock  built  by  La  Salle. 
1700.     Kaskaskia  mission  removes  to  present  site  of  town.     Ca- 

hokia  mission  established. 

1717.  Illinois  under  the  Company  of  the  West. 

1718.  Building  of  Ft.  Chartres. 

1754.     Beginning  of  the  French  and  Indian  War. 

1763.     Illinois  country  ceded  to  England. 

1765.     Ft.  Chartres  surrendered  to  British  by  St.  Ange. 

French  at  Kaskaskia  ask  representative  form  of  government. 
1778.     Expedition  of  George  Rogers  Clark. 

Illinois  becomes  a  county  of  Virginia. 
1784.     Illinois  ceded  to  Federal  government  by  Virginia. 
1787.     Ordinance  for  government  of  Northwest  Territory. 
1790.     St.  Clair  County  organized. 
1800.     Illinois  becomes  part  of  Indiana  Territory. 
1809.     Illinois  Territory  organized. 
1812.     Illinois  becomes  territory  of  second  grade. 

Ft.  Dearborn  Massacre. 
1818.     Illinois  admitted  to  the   Union.     Kaskaskia  the   capital 

(1818-1820). 

1820.     Capital  removed  to  Vandalia  (1820-1837). 
1824.     Attempt  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state. 
1829.     Illinois  College  founded— the  first  in  the  state. 
1832.     Black  Hawk  War. 

227 


228  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

1837.     Springfield  becomes  capital  of  the  state. 

Internal  Improvement  System. 

Love  joy  killed  at  Alton. 
1839.     Completion   of  first   railroad   in  the  state — the   Northern 

Cross. 

1844.     Mormon  imbroglio. 
1848.     New  state  constitution  adopted. 

Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  completed. 

1855.  General  Education  Act,  basis  of  school  system. 

1856.  Beginning  of  Republican  party  in  Illinois. 

Completion  of  Illinois  Central  Railroad  from  Centralia  to 

East  Dubuque,  and  from  Cairo  to  Chicago. 
1858.     Lincoln-Douglas  Debates. 

1860.  Lincoln  nominated  for  President. 

1861.  Beginning  of  Civil  War. 
Death  of  Douglas. 

Grant  takes  command  at  Cairo. 
1863.  Yates  prorogues  the  legislature. 
1865.  Illinois  the  first  state  to  ratify  the  Thirteenth  Amendment. 

Death  of  Lincoln. 

1867.     Establishment  of  Illinois  Industrial  University,  now  the 
University  of  Illinois. 

1870.  Present  constitution  adopted. 

1871.  Chicago  Fire. 

1876.  New  statehouse  occupied. 

1886.  Haymarket  riot. 

1891.  Australian  Ballot  System  adopted. 

Chicago  University  opened. 

1893.  World's  Columbian  Exposition. 

1900.  Chicago  Drainage  Canal  opened. 

1903.  Iroquois  Theater  Fire. 

1907.  Local  Option  Law. 

1908.  Direct  Primary  Law. 


2.    REFERENCE  BOOKS 

*  Publications  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society;  Reports  of 

the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society;  Illinois  Historical  Col- 
lections, Vols.  I,  II,  and  III. 

*  Fergus  Historical  Series,  and  other  Chicago  Historical  Society 

Publications. 
Historical  Encyclopedia  of  Illinois.    Bateman  and  Selby. 

*  Early  History  of  Illinois.     Sidney  Breese. 
History  of  Illinois,  1673-1884.    Davidson  and  Stuve. 

*  Illinois,  Historical  and  Statistical,  2  vols.    John  Moses. 

*  Chapters  from  Illinois  History.    Edward  G.  Mason. 

*  Illinois  and  Louisiana  Under  the  French.    Joseph  Wallace. 
Conquest  of  the  Country  Northwest  of  the  River  Ohio,  and  Life 

of  George  Rogers  Clark,  2  vols.    William  H.  English. 
History  of  George  Rogers  Clark.    C.  W.  Butterfield.    (Pub.  Ohio 

Hist.  Soc.) 
How  George  Rogers  Clark  Won  the  Northwest.    R.  C.  Thwaites. 

*  History  of  Illinois,  1818-1847.    Gov.  Thomas  Ford. 
Pioneer  History  of  Illinois.    Gov.  John  Reynolds. 
My  Own  Times.    Gov.  John  Reynolds. 

The  Illini.    Clark  E.  Carr. 

Historic  Illinois.    Randall  Parrish. 

The  Government  of  Illinois.    E.  B.  Greene. 

Life  of  Coles.    Washburne. 

*  The  History  of  Negro  Servitude  in  Illinois,  1719-1864.    N.  Dwight 

Harris. 

The  various  biographies  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 
The  Patriotism  of  Illinois  (in  Civil  War),  2  vols.    T.  M.  Eddy. 

NOTE 

A  very  extensive  bibliography  of  Illinois  history  can  be  found  in 
a  circular  called  An  Outline  For  The  Study  of  Illinois  State  History, 
issued  for  free  distribution  by  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Library. 
Address:  Librarian,  Illinois  State  Historical  Library,  Springfield,  111. 

*  Books  marked  thus  are  of  special  value. 
229 


3.     ORIGIN  OF  CERTAIN  ILLINOIS  NAMES  * 

i 

Abingdon:  from  Abingdon,  Md.,  birthplace  of  one  of  its  founders. 

Adams  (county) :  for  Pres.  John  Quincy  Adams. 
Alexander  (county) :  for  William  M.  Alexander. 
Alton:  named  by  Rufus  Easton,  the  founder,  for  his  son. 
Amboy :  Indian,  "hollow  inside." 
Arcola :  from  Arcola,  Italy. 
Astoria :  from  the  Astor  family. 
Athens:  from  Athens,  Greece. 
Aurora:  Latin,  "morning,"  "dawn." 
Batavia :  from  town  in  New  York. 
Beardstown :  from  founder,  Thomas  Beard. 
Belleville:  French,  "beautiful  town." 

Bloomington:  from  Bloomington  Grove,  so  called  from  its  pro- 
fusion of  wild  flowers. 

Bond  (county) :  for  Shadrach  Bond,  first  governor  of  Illinois. 
Boone  (county) :  for  Daniel  Boone. 
Breese :  for  Lieut.  Gov.  Sidney  3reese. 
Brown  (county) :  for  Maj.  Gen.  Jacob  Brown,  U.  S.  A. 
Bureau  (county) :  for  first  French  trader,  Pierre  de  Beuro. 
Cairo :  from  Cairo,  Egypt. 
Calhoun  (county) :  for  John  C.  Calhoun. 
Calumet:  Indian,  "little  reed,"  "pipe  of  peace." 
Canton:  from  Canton,  China. 
Carlinville:  for  Gov.  Thomas  Carlin. 

Carroll  (county) :  for  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  Maryland. 
Carterville :  for  Laban  Carter,  the  first  settler. 
Casey ville :  for  Lieut.  Gov.  Badock  Casey. 
Cass  (county) :  for  Gen.  Lewis  Cass. 
Centralia :  from  junction  of  railroads  at  that  point. 
Cerro  Gordo:  from  Mexican  battlefield. 
Champaign  (county) :  from  the  county  in  Ohio. 
Charleston :  for  Charles  Morton,  one  of  its  founders. 

*  For  other  place  names  see  "  The  Origin  of  Certain  Place  Names 
in  the  United  States,"  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  Bulletin  No.  258. 

230 


APPENDIX  231 

Chenoa :  Indian,  "  white  dove." 

Chicago:  Indian,  "wild  onion  place,"  "bad  smell." 

Chillicothe:  Indian,  "man  made  perfect." 

Christian  (county) :  from  the  county  in  Kentucky. 

Clark  (county) :  for  George  Rogers  Clark. 

Clay  (county) :  for  Henry  Clay. 

Clinton  (county) :  for  DeWitt  Clinton,  governor  of  New  York. 

Coles  (county) :  for  Gov.  Edward  Coles.   . 

Colfax:  for  Vice  Pres.  Schuyler  Colfax. 

Collinsville :  from  early  settlers,  four  brothers  named  Collins. 

Cook  (county) :  for  Daniel  P.  Cook,  member  of  Congress. 

Crawford  (county) :  for  Wm.  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

Cumberland  (county) :  from  proposed  Cumberland  Road. 

Danville:  for  Indian  trader,  Dan  Beckwith. 

Decatur:  for  Commodore  Stephen  Decatur. 

De  Kalb  (county) :  for  Baron  De  Kalb,  Revolutionary  general. 

Des  Plaines :  from  the  presence  of  a  species  of  maple  called  by  the 

French  "plaine." 

DeWitt  (county) :  for  DeWitt  Clinton,  governor  of  New  York. 
Dixon:  from  founder,  John  Dixon. 
Douglas  (county) :  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas. 
Downers  Grove :  for  early  settler,  Pierce  Downer. 
DuPage  (county  and  river) :  for  a  French  Indian,  DuPage,  who 

lived  on  the  river  before  1800. 
Duquoin :  from  a  Kaskaskian  chief. 
Edgar  (county):  for  Gen.  John  Edgar,  early  pioneer. 
Edwards  (county)-:  for  Gov.  Ninian  Edwards. 
Edwardsville :  for  Gov.  Ninian  Edwards. 
Effingham  (county) :  either  for  a  surveyor,  Gen.  Edward  Effingham, 

or  for  Lord  Effingham. 
Elgin:  for  Earl  of  Elgin. 

El  Paso:  from  the  passing  or  crossing  of  two  railroads. 
Evanston :  for  John  Evans,  governor  of  Colorado. 
Farmington:  from  Farmington,  Conn. 
Fayette  (county) :  for  Marquis  de  la  Fayette. 
Fever  (river):  early  French,  "the  river  of  the  bean,"  because  of 

large  number  of  wild  beans  upon  its  banks. 


232  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Fitch  (stream) :  for  early  settler,  George  Fitch. 

Ford  (county) :  for  Gov.  Thomas  Ford. 

Fort  Sheridan:  for  Gen.  P.  H.  Sheridan. 

Franklin  (county) :  for  Benj.  Franklin. 

Freeport :  from  the  hospitality  of  the  home  of  an  early  settler. 

Fulton  (county) :  for  Robert  Fulton. 

Galena:  from  the  presence  of  lead  ore. 

Galesburg:  for  Rev.  George  W.  Gale,  early  settler. 

Gallatin  (county) :  for  Albert  Gallatin,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

Galva:  from  a  town  in  Sweden. 

Geneseo:  Indian,  "beautiful  valley"  or  "shining  valley." 

Girard :  for  Stephen  Girard. 

Golconda :  from  city  in  India. 

Greene  (county) :  for  Gen.  Nathanael  Greene,  Revolutionary  soldier. 

Greenville :  from  town  in  North  Carolina. 

Grundy  (county) :  for  Felix  Grundy,  U.  S.  Senator  from  Tenn. 

Hamilton  (county) :  for  Alexander  Hamilton. 

Hancock  (county):  for  Gov.  John  Hancock,  of  Massachusetts. 

Hardin  (county) :  for  Gen.  John  J.  Hardin,  of  Mexican  War. 

Harrisburg :  from  family  of  first  settlers. 

Havana :  from  city  in  Cuba. 

Henderson  (county) :  for  Col.  Richard  Henderson,  of  Kentucky. 

Henry  (county) :  for  Patrick  Henry. 

Henry  (city) :  for  Gen.  James  D.  Henry,  of  Black  Hawk  War. 

Hoopeston :  for  founder,  Thomas  Hoopes. 

Illinois :  from  Illini  Indians,  name  means  "men." 

Iroquois  (county  and  river) :  from  Iroquois  Indians. 

Jackson  (county) :  for  Andrew  Jackson. 

Jacksonville :  for  prominent  colored  preacher. 

Jasper  (county) :  for  Sergt.  Wm.  Jasper,  Revolutionary  soldier. 

Jefferson  (county) :  for  Pres.  Thomas  Jefferson. 

Jersey  (county) :  for  the  state  of  New  Jersey. 

Jerseyville :  for  the  state  of  Xew  Jersey. 

Jo  Daviess  (county) :  for  Col.  Joseph  H.  Daviess,  of  Kentucky. 

Johnson  (county) :  for  Vice  Pres.  Richard  Johnson. 

Joliet:  for  French  explorer,  Louis  Joliet. 

Jonesboro :  for  Dr.  Jones,  prominent  settler. 


APPENDIX  233 

Kane  (county) :  for  Elias  Kent  Kane,  U.  S.  Senator  from  Illinois. 

Kankakee  (county  and  river) :  an  Indian  name. 

Kaskaskia :  from  Kaskaskia  tribe  of  Illinois  Indians. 

Kendall  (county) :  for  Postmaster-General  Amos  Kendall. 

Kewanee:  Indian,  "prairie  hen"  or  "wild  duck." 

Kishwaukee:  Indian,  "sycamore  tree." 

Knox  (county) :  for  Gen.  Henry  Knox. 

La  Harpe:  for  French  explorer,  Bernard  de  la  Harpe. 

Lake  (county) :  from  presence  of  lakes. 

Lanark :  from  town  in  Scotland. 

La  Salle  (county) :  for  Robert  Cavelier,  Sieur  de  la  Salle. 

Lawrence  (county) :  for  Capt.  James  Lawrence,  War  of  1812. 

Lawrenceville:  same  as  above. 

Lee  (county) :  for  Richard  Henry  Lee,  of  Virginia. 

Lewistown :  for  Lewis  Ross,  son  of  founder. 

Livingston  (county) :  for  Edward  Livingston,  Secretary  of  State. 

Lockport:  from  location  on  locks  of  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal. 

Logan  (county) :  for  Judge  Samuel  T.  Logan,  law  partner  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln. 

McDonough  (county) :  for  Com.  Thomas  McDonough,  War  of  1812. 

McHenry  (county) :  for  Gen.  Wm.  McHenry,  of  Black  Hawk  War. 

McLean  (county) :  for  John  McLean,  U.  S.  Senator. 

Macomb:  for  Gen.  Alexander  Macomb,  War  of  1812. 

Macon  (county) :  for  Col.  Nathaniel  Macon,  Senator  from  N.  C. 

Macoupin  (county):  Indian,  "white  potato,"  found  in  region. 

Madison  (county) :  for  Pres.  James  Madison. 

Marengo :  battlefield  in  Italy. 

Marion  (county) :  for  Gen.  Francis  Marion. 

Maroa :  Indian  tribe. 

Marshall  (county) :  for  Chief  Justice  John  Marshall. 

Mascoutah:  Indian,  "prairie"  or  "grassy  plain." 

Mason  (county) :  from  Mason  County,  Kentucky. 

Massac  (county) :  from  old  fort  named  for  Monsieur  Massiac,  French 
minister  of  marine  during  French  and  Indian  War. 

Menard  (county) :  for  Pierre  Menard,  first  lieutenant  governor  of 
Illinois. 

Mendota:  Indian,  meaning  crossing  of  two  trails. 


234  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Mercer  (county) :  for  Gen.  Hugh  Mercer,  of  the  Revolution. 

Meredosia:  French,  either  "willow  marsh,"  or  Lake  (mer)  d'Osea, 
the  name  of  a  French  priest  who  lived  in  the  vicinity. 

Michigan  (lake):  Indian,  meaning  "big  lake"  or  "place  for  catch- 
ing fish." 

Mississippi:  Indian,  "great  river,"  "gathering  in  of  all  the  waters." 

Moline:  Spanish,  meaning  "mill." 

Monmouth:  from  Revolutionary  battle  at  Monmouth,  N.  J. 

Monroe  (county) :  for  Pres.  James  Monroe. 

Montgomery  (county) :  for  Gen.  Richard  Montgomery. 

Monticello:  from  home  of  Jefferson  in  Virginia. 

Morgan  (county) :  for  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan,  of  the  Revolution. 

Moultrie  (county) :  for  Gen.  Wm.  Moultrie,  of  the  Revolution. 

Mound  City :  from  Indian  mounds  in  the  vicinity. 

Mount  Carmel :  from  mountain  in  Palestine. 

Mount  Carroll :  for  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton,  Maryland. 

Mount  Pulaski:  for  Count  Pulaski,  Revolutionary  general. 

Mount  Vernon :  from  home  of  Washington. 

Moweaqua:  Indian,  "weeping  woman,"  "wolf  woman." 

Movestar:  French,  "bad  land." 

Murphy sboro :  from  one  of  its  founders. 

Nameoki:  Indian,  "fishing  place." 

Naperville:  from  founder,  Joseph  Naper. 

Nashville :  from  city  in  Tennessee. 

Nauvoo:  so  named  by  Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon. 

Neoga:  Indian,  "place  of  the  Deity." 

Newton :  for  Sergt.  John  Newton,  of  the  Revolution. 

Nokomis:  Indian,  "grandmother." 

Normal:  so  called  from  State  Normal  School  there. 

Ogle  (county) :  for  Capt.  Joseph  Ogle,  an  Indian  fighter. 

Ohio:  from  the  state  of  Ohio. 

Olney:  for  Nathan  Olney. 

Onarga:  Indian,  "place  of  rocky  hills." 

Oneida:  Indian,  an  Iroquois  tribe,  "granite  people." 

Oquawka:  Indian,  "yellow." 

Ottawa:  name  of  Indian  tribe. 

Paloma:  Spanish,  "dove." 


APPENDIX  235 

Pana:  from  Indian  tribe,  Pani. 

Paris:  from  Paris,  Kentucky. 

Paxton :  for  Sir  Joseph  Paxton,  who  promoted  emigration  to  Illinois. 

Peeatonica:  Indian,  a  species  of  fish. 

Peoria  (county  and  city):  Indian,  "carriers,"  name  of  tribe. 

Peotone:  Indian,  "bring  here." 

Perry  (county) :  for  Commodore  Oliver  H.  Perry. 

Peru :  from  town  in  New  York. 

Petersburg :  for  Peter  Lukins,  a  founder. 

Piasa:  Indian  name  of  a  huge  animal  figure  chiseled  on  a  ledge  of 

rocks  on  banks  of  the  Mississippi. 

Piatt  (county) :  for  James  Andrew  Piatt,  first  white  settler. 
Pike  (county) :  for  Gen.  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  the  explorer. 
Pontiac :  from  town  in  Michigan  whence  many  of  the  settlers  came. 
Pope  (county) :  for  Nathaniel  Pope,  delegate  to  Congress. 
Prairie  du  Rocher:  French,  "meadow  of  the  rock." 
Prophetstown :  from  the  "Shawnee  Prophet,"  brother  of  Tecumseh. 
Pulaski  (county) :  for  Count  Pulaski,  of  the  Revolution. 
Putnam  (county) :  for  Gen.  Israel  Putnam,  of  the  Revolution. 
Quincy:  for  Pres.  John  Quincy  Adams. 

Randolph  (county) :  for  Beverly  Randolph,  governor  of  Virginia. 
Richland  (county) :  from  Richland  County,  Ohio. 
Robinson :  for  John  M.  Robinson,  U.  S.  Senator  from  Illinois. 
Rock  Falls :  from  location  at  falls  in  Rock  River. 
Rockford :  from  its  situation  on  both  sides  of  Rock  River. 
Rock  Island  (county  and  city) :  from  island  in  the  Mississippi. 
Rushville :  for  Dr.  Richard  Rush,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
Saint  Clair  (county) :  for  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair,  governor. 
Saline  (county  and  river) :  from  presence  of  salt  deposits. 
Sandwich :  from  town  in  Massachusetts. 

Sangamon  (county  and  river):  Indian,  "good  hunting  ground." 
Savanna:  Indian  tribe,  the  Shawnee,  who  formerly  lived  upon  the 

Savannah  River. 

Schuyler  (county) :  for  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler,  of  the  Revolution. 
Scott  (county) :  from  Scott  County,  Kentucky. 
Shawnee  town :  named  for  the  Shawnee  tribe. 
Shelby  (county) :  for  Gen.  Isaac  Shelby,  governor  of  Kentucky. 


236  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Shelby ville:  for  Gen.  Isaac  Shelby,  governor  of  Kentucky. 

Somonauk:  Indian,  "papaw  tree." 

Sparta :  from  Sparta  in  Greece. 

Stark  (county) :  for  Gen.  John  Stark,  of  the  Revolution. 

Stephenson  (county) :  for  Col.  Benj.  Stephenson,  War  of  1812. 

Sterling :  for  Colonel  Sterling,  of  Pennsylvania. 

Streator:  for  W.  S.  Streator,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Tamaroa :  from  tribe  of  Illinois  Indians. 

Taylorville :  for  John  Taylor,  one  of  its  founders. 

Tazewell  (county) :  for  Gov.  L.  W.  Tazewell,  of  Virginia. 

Tonti:  for  La  Salle's  companion,  Henri  de  Tonti  (Henry  de  Tonty). 

Toulon :  from  a  place  in  Tennessee. 

Tuscola:  Indian,  "level  place." 

Union  (county) :  so  named  from  union  meeting  held  in  vicinity 

about  1817  by  two  preachers  of  different  denominations. 
Urbana :  from  city  in  Ohio. 

Vermilion  (county  and  river) :  French,  "red  earth." 
Wabash  (county  and  river):  Indian,  "white  water." 
Warren  (county) :  for  Joseph  Warren  who  fell  at  Bunker  Hill. 
Warsaw:  from  Warsaw  in  Poland. 
Washington  (county) :  for  George  Washington. 
Watseka:  Indian,  "pretty  woman." 
Waukegan:  Indian,  "little  fort." 

Wayne  (county) :  for  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  of  the  Revolution. 
Wenona:  Indian,  "first-born  daughter." 
Wheaton :  named  for  first  settlers. 

White  (county) :  for  Col.  Isaac  White,  killed  at  Tippecanoe. 
Whiteside  (county) :  for  Gen.  Sam.  Whiteside,  War  of  1812. 
Will  (county) :  for  Dr.  Conrad  Will,  member  of  state  legislature, 

1818-1834. 

Williamson  (county) :  from  county  of  same  name  in  Tennessee. 
Wilmington:  from  Wilmington,  Ohio. 

Winnebago  (county) :  Indian  tribe,  "people  of  the  stinking  waters." 
Winnetka:  Indian,  "beautiful  place." 
Woodford  (county) :  from  county  in  Kentucky. 
Woodstock:  from  town  in  Vermont. 
Wyoming :  from  valley  in  Pennsylvania. 


4.    LIST  OF  COUNTIES  l 

Showing  Date  of  Organization,  Area,  County  Seat,  and  Population 

.   in  1900 


Counties 

Organized 

Area  — 
square 
miles 

County  Seat 

Pop.  1900 

Adams  ... 
Alexander         ...    . 

Jan.    13,  1825 
Mar.     4,  1819 
Jan.     4,  1817 
Mar.     4,  1837 
Feb.      1,  1839 

830 
220 
380 
288 
306 

Quincy  

67,058 
19,384 
16,078 
15,791 
11,557 
41,112 
8,917 
18,963 
17,222 
47,622 
32,780 
24,033 
19,553 
19,824 
34,146 
1,838,735 
19,240 
16,124 
31,756 
18,972 
19,097 
28,196 
28,273 
10,345 
20,465 
28,065 
18,359 
19,675 
46,201 
15,836 
23,402 
24,136 
20,197 
32,215 
7,448 
10,836 
40,049 
38,014 
33,871 
20,160 
28,133 
14,612 
24,533 
15,667 

Cairo     

Bond 

Boone.  . 

Brown            .      .  . 

Mt    Sterling  

Bureau  
Calhoun        

Feb.   28,  1837 
Jan     10,  1825 

846 
251 

Hardin  

Carroll     . 

Feb.  22,  1839 
Mar.     3,  1837 
Feb.   20,  1833 
Feb.   15,  1839 
Mar.  22,  1819* 
Dec.  23,  1824 
Dec.  27,  1824 
Dec.   25,  1830 
Jan.    15,  1831 
Dec.  31,  1816 
May     1,  1843 
Mar.     4,  1837 
Mar.     1,  1839 
Feb.   13,  1857 
Feb.     9,  1839 
Jan.     3,  1823 
Nov.  28,  1814 
Feb.  15,  1831 
Feb.  14,  1821 
Feb.   17,  1859 
Jan.     2,  1818 
Jan.    28,  1823 
Sept.  14,  1812 
Jan.    28,  1821 
Feb.   17,  1841 
Feb.     8,  1821 
Jan.  13,  1825 
Mar.     2,  1839 
Jan.    20,  1841 
Jan.    13,  1825 
Feb.  26,  1833 
Jan.    10,  1816 
Feb.  15,  1831 
Mar.  26,  1819 
Feb.  28,  1839 
Feb.  17,  1817 
Feb.  14,  1812 
Jan.    16,  1836 
Feb.  11,  1851 
Feb.  19,  1841 
Jan.    13,  1825 
Mar.     1,  1839 

450 
460 
1,008 
702 
513 
466 
487 
520 
890 
470 
350 
650 
440 
410 
340 
640 
220 
486 
720 
580 
430 
864 
340 
540 
440 
440 
780 
180 
380 
S25 
1,100 
580 
484 
466 
360 
650 
340 
540 
680 
321 
720 
394 

Mt   Carroll 

Cass  

Virginia  

Champaign  

Urbana  .  ,  

Clark  

Marshall  

Clay 

Clinton  

Coles  

Charleston  

Cook  
Crawford  
Cumberland  
DeKalb  

Robinson  .  .          

Toledo  

DeWitt  ...  

Clinton  

Douglas.       .  .  . 

JDuPage  

Wheaton  

Edwards  

Albion  

Kffingham 

Fayette  

Vandalia  

Ford  

1'axton  

Franklin  ... 

Benton  .  . 

Fulton  

Lewistown  ... 

(iallatin  

Shawneetown  

Greene  

Carrollton.  .  . 

Hamilton  

McLeansboro 

Hancock  
Hardin  
Henderson  
Henry  
Iroquois  

Carthage  

Elizabethtown  
Oquawka  

Cambridge  

Watseka  

Jackson  
Jasper  

Murphvsboro  

Newton  

Jefferson  
Jersey  

Mt.  Vernon  
Jerseyville.  .  . 

Jo  Daviess  
Johnson  
Kane  

Galena  

Vienna  

78,792 
37,154 
11,467 
43,612 
34.303 

Kankakee  

Kendall  
Knox  
Lake.  . 

Yorkville       .  .        .    . 

'ialesburg  
Waukegan  .  . 

1From  Blue  Book  of  Illinois. 

237 


238 


HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIST  OF  COUNTIES— Concluded 


Counties 

Organized 

Area  — 
square 
miles 

County  Seat 

Pop.  1900 

La  Salle       

Jan.    15,  1831 

1,152 

Ottawa  

87  776 

Lawrence  

Jan.    16,  1821 

362 

Lawrenceville  

16,523 

Lee 

Feb.  27,  1839 

728 

Dixon  

29  894 

Livingston  

Feb.  27,  1837 

1,026 

Pontiac  

42,035 

Feb    15,  1839 

620 

Lincoln  . 

28  680 

Jan.   19,  1829 

580 

Decatur.  ... 

44  003 

Macoupin  

Jan.    17,  1829 

864 

CarlinviFle  

42,256 

Sept.  14,  1812 

740 

Kdwardsville 

64  694 

Jan.    24,  1823 

576 

Salem  

30,446 

Jan     19,  1839 

350 

Lacon 

16  370 

Jan.   28,  1841 

518 

Havana.  . 

17  491 

Feb.     8,  1843 

240 

Metropolis  .... 

13,110 

Jan     25,  1826 

576 

Macomb 

28  412 

Jan.    16,  1836 

612 

Woodstock.     .  .  . 

29  759 

Dec    25,  1830 

1,161 

Bloomington 

67  843 

Feb.  15,  1839 

311 

Petersburg  . 

14  336 

Jan.    13,  1825 

550 

Aledo  

20,945 

Jan       1,  1816 

380 

Waterloo 

13  847 

Feb.  12,  1821 

740 

Hillsboro.  . 

30836 

Morgan  

Jan.   31,  1823 

563 

Jacksonville  

35,006 

Feb    16,  1843 

340 

Sullivan 

15  224 

Oeie 

Jan.    16,  1836 

773 

Oregon  

29,129 

Jan    13  1825 

630 

Peoria 

88  608 

Perry  

Jan.    29,  1827 

432 

Pinckneyville  

19,830 

Piatt 

Jan.    27,  1841 

440 

Monticello. 

17,706 

Pike 

Jan    31,  1821 

756 

Pittsfield 

31  595 

Apr      1,  1816 

360 

Golconda  . 

13,585 

Mar.     3,  1843 

190 

Mound  City  .  . 

14,554 

Jan     13   1825 

170 

Hennepin 

4  746 

Apr    28,  1809 

560 

Chester  .  . 

28  001 

Feb    24    1841 

380 

16  391 

Feb      9,  1831 

420 

Rock  Island 

55  249 

Feb    25  1847 

396 

21  685 

Jan     30   1821 

875 

71  593 

Jan     13,  1825 

414 

Rushville  . 

16,129 

Scott 

Feb.  16,  1839 

252 

Winchester  

10,455 

Shelby 

Jan    23  1827 

760 

Shelbyville 

32  126 

Stark 

Mar      2,  1839 

290 

Toulon  

10,186 

St   Clair 

Apr    28   1809 

680 

Belleville 

86  685 

Mar      4  1837 

573 

Freeport 

31  288 

Tazewell 

Jan    31,  1827 

650 

Pekin  

33,221 

Union  

Jan.      2,  1818 

400 

Jonesboro  

22,610 

Jan     18   1826 

882 

Danville  .  . 

65,635 

Wabash   . 

Dec.  27,  1824 

220 

Mt.  Carmel  

12,583 

Jan     13   1825 

540 

Monmouth 

23,163 

Jan       2,  1818 

557 

Nashville  

19,526 

Mar    26   1819 

720 

Fairfield 

27  626 

White 

Dec      9   1815 

500 

Carmi  .  .  . 

25,386 

Whiteside 

Jan     16,  1836 

676 

Morrison  

34,710 

Will 

Jan     12   1836 

850 

Joliet   . 

74,764 

Feb    28,  1839 

440 

Marion  

27,796 

Jan     16   1836 

540 

Rockford 

47,845 

Woodford  

Feb.  27,  1841 

556 

Eureka  .  

21,822 

5.    U.  S.  SENATORS  FROM  ILLINOIS 


Name 

Term 
of  service 

Residence 

Remarks 

N  inian  Edwards,  Dem  
Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Dem  

1X1S-1S1!) 
1818-1823 

.  .do  

1819-1824 
1823-1829 

1824-1825 

Edwardsville.. 
..do  
Shawneetown 

Resigned,  1824  

Jesse  B.  Thomas,  Dem  

Vice  Edwards  

Elias  Kent  Kane,  Dem  

1825-1831 
1829-1830 
1830 
1830-1835 
1831-1835 

1835-1841 
1835-1837 
1837-1843 
1841-1843 

1843-1849 
1843-1847 
1847-1853 
1849-1855 
1853-1859 
1855-1861 
1859-1861 

1861-1867 
1861-1863 
1863-1865 
1865-1871 
1867-1873 
1871-1877 
1873-1879 
1877-1883 
1879-1885 
1883-1889 
1885-1886 
1887-1891 
1889-1895 
1891-1897 

Kaskaskia  .  .  . 
Shawneetown 
Kaskaskia  .  .  . 

Died  Oct  14,  1830 

David  J  Baker,  Dem  

Vice  McLean  

John  M.  Robinson,  Dem  
Elias  Kent  Kane,  Dem  

John  M.  Robinson,  Dem  
William  L.  D.  Ewing,  Dem..  . 
Richard  M.  Young,  Dem  
Samuel  McRoberts,  Dem.  .  .  . 

Kaskaskia  .  .  . 
Carmi  

Succeeded    himself. 
Dec    12    1835 

Died 

Succeeded  himself.  .  .  . 

Vandalia  .  .    . 

Vice  Kane  

Jonesboro  .  .  . 

Succeeded  Ewing  .... 

Waterloo  .... 
Carlyle 

Vice    Robinson. 
March  22,  1843.  .  .  . 

Died 

Alton  

Vice  McRoberts  

Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Dem.  .  . 
James  Shields,  Dem  .  . 

Quincy  
Springfield.  .  . 
Chicago  

Succeeded  Semple.  .  .  . 
Succeeded  Breese 

Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Dem.  .  .  . 
L.  Trumbull,  Anti-Neb.  Dem. 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  Dem.  .  .  . 

Lyman  Trumbull,  Rep 

Succeeded  himself.  .  .  . 

Belleville 

Chicago  
do  

Succeeded  himself. 
June  3   1861 

Died 

Succeeded  himself 

Orville  H.  Browning,  Rep..  . 
William  A.  Richardson,  Dem. 
Richard  Yates,  Rep  
Lyman  Trumbull,  Rep  
John  A  Logan,  Rep  

Quincy  

Vice  Douglas  

.   do 

Jacksonville.  . 
Chicago  
do        .    ... 

Succeeded   Richardson 
Succeeded  himself.  .  .  . 
Succeeded  Yates  .  . 

Richard  J.  Oglesby,  Rep  

Decatur  
Bloomington  . 
Chicago  
Springfield.  .  . 
Chicago  
.  .  do  

Succeeded  Trumbull.  . 

John  A  Logan,  Rep  

Succeeded   Oglesby 

Shelby  M.  Cullom,  Rep  
John  A  Logan,  Rep  .  .  . 

Died  Dec  26,  1886 

Charles  B.  Farwell,  Rep  
Shelby  M  Cullom  Rep  .  .  . 

Vice  Logan  

Springfield.  .  . 
.  .do.  .  . 

John  M.  Palmer,  Dem  

Succeeded  Farwel! 

Shelby  M  Cullom,  Rep 

1895-1901 

do 

William  E.  Mason,  Rep  
Shelby  M.  Cullom,  Rep  
Albert  J.  Hopkins.  Rep  
Shelby  M.  Cullom,  Rep  

1897-1903 
1901-1907 
1903-1909 
1907-1913 

Chicago  
Springfield.  .  . 
Aurora  
Springfield  .  .  . 

Succeeded  Palmer 

Succeeded  himself.  .  .  . 

Succeeded  Mason  .... 
Succeeded  himself.  .  .  . 

1  From  Blue  Book  of  Illinois. 


239 


6.    LIST  OF  GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS  1 


Nnmp                       1   When   in-      1          From 
piame                       |    augurate(i     |  what  county 

Remarks 

Shadrach  Bond,  Dem  

Oct.  6,  1818 
Dec.  5,  1822 
Dec.  6,  1826 

St.    Clair  

Kdward  Coles,  Dem  

Madison 

.N  inian  Kdwards,  Dem  

.  .  do  

John  Reynolds,  Dem 

Dec.  6,  1830 

Nov.  17,  1834 
Dec.  3,  1834 

St.  Clair 

Resigned;    elected    U. 
Representative 

S. 

Wm.  L.  D.  Ewing,  Dem..  .  . 
Joseph  Duncan,  Dem  

Fayette  
Morgan  

Vice  Reynolds  

Thomas  Carlin,  Dem  
Thomas  Ford,  Dem  

Dec.  7,  1838 
Dec.  8,  1842 
Dec.  9,  1846 
Jan.  8,  1849 
Jan.  10,  1853 
Jan.  12,  1857 
Mar.  21,  1860 
Jan.  14,  1861 
Jan  16,  1865 

Greene  

Ogle  

Augustus  C.  French,  Dem.  . 
Augustus  C.  French,  Dem.  . 
Joel  A.  Matteson,  Dem  
Wm.  H.  Bissell,  Rep  
John  Wood,  Rep  

Crawford  .... 

.  .do  .  . 

Will  

Monroe   .  . 

Died  March  15,  1860. 
Vice  Bissell  

Adams  

Richard  Yates,  Rep  
Richard  J    Oglesby   Rep 

Morgan  

Macon.  .    .    . 

John  M.  Palmer,  Rep  
Richard  J.  Oglesby,  Rep.  .  . 

John  L.  Beveridge,  Rep  
Shelby  M.  Cullom,  Rep  
Shelby  M  Cullom   Rep 

Jan.  11,  1869 
Jan.  13,  1873 

Jan.  23,  1873 
Jan.  8,  1877 
Jan  10,  1881 

Macoupin  .... 

Macon  
Cook  

Resigned;   elected    U. 
Senator. 

8. 

Vice    Oglesby  

Sangamon 

.  .do  

Resigned;   elected    U. 
Senator  

S. 

John  M.  Hamilton,  Rep.  .  .  . 
Richard  J.  Oglesby,  Rep..  . 
Joseph  W   Fifer,  Rep 

Feb.  6,  1883 
Jan.  30,  1885 
Jan  14,  1889 

McLean  
Macon  
McLean  

Vice  Cullom      .    .    . 

John  P   Altgeld   Dem 

Jan  9  1893 

Cook        .  .  . 

John  R.  Tanner,  Rep  
Richard  Yates,  Rep  
Charles  S.  Deneen,  Rep  .  .  . 
Charles  S.  Deneen,  Rep  .... 

Jan.  11,  1897 
Jan.  14,  1901 
Jan.  9,  1905 
Jan.  11,  1909 

(May   

Morgan  
Cook  

..do  



1  From  Blue  Book  of  Illinois. 


240 


7.  CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS,  1870 
Including  Amendments 


PREAMBLE 

We,  the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois — grateful  to  Almighty  God 
for  the  civil,  political  and  religious  liberty  which  He  hath  so  long 
permitted  us  to  enjoy,  and  looking  to  Him  for  a  blessing  upon  our 
endeavors  to  secure  and  transmit  the  same  unimpaired  to  succeeding 
generations — in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  government,  establish 
justice,  insure  domestic  tranquillity,  provide  for  the  common  defense, 
promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessing  of  liberty  to  our- 
selves and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish  this  Constitution  for 
the  State  of  Illinois. 

ARTICLE  I 
BOUNDARIES 

The  boundaries  and  jurisdiction  of  the  State  shall  be  as  follows, 
to  wit:  Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  river,  thence  up  the 
same,  and  with  the  line  of  Indiana  to  the  northwest  corner  of  said 
State;  thence  east  with  the  line  of  the  same  State,  to  the  middle  of 
Lake  Michigan;  thence  north  along  the  middle  of  said  lake  to  north 
latitude  forty-two  degrees  and  thirty  minutes,  thence  west  to  the 
middle  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  thence  down  along  the  middle 
of  that  river  to  its  confluence  with  the  Ohio  river,  and  thence  up  the 
latter  river  along  its  northwestern  shore  to  the  place  of  beginning: 
Provided,  that  this  State  shall  exercise  such  jurisdiction  upon  the 
Ohio  river  as  she  is  now  entitled  to,  or  such  as  may  hereafter  be  agreed 
upon  by  this  State  and  the  State  of  Kentucky. 

ARTICLE  II 
BILL  OF  RIGHTS 

SECTION  1.  All  men  are  by  nature  free  and  independent,  and  have 
certain  inherent  and  inalienable  rights — among  these  are  life,  liberty 
and  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  To  secure  these  rights  and  the  protec- 
tion of  property,  governments  are  instituted  among  men,  deriving 
their  just  powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed. 

§  2.  No  person  shall  be  deprived  of  life,  liberty  or  property  with- 
out due  process  of  law. 

Illinois— 16  241 


242  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

§  3.  The  free  exercise  and  enjoyment  of  religious  profession  and  wor- 
ship, without  discrimination,  shall  forever  be  guaranteed;  and  no  per- 
son shall  be  denied  any  civil  or  political  right,  privilege  or  capacity  on 
account  of  his  religious  opinions;  but  the  liberty  of  conscience  hereby 
secured  shall  not  be  construed  to  dispense  with  oaths  or  affirmations, 
excuse  acts  of  licentiousness,  or  justify  practices  inconsistent  with  the 
peace  or  safety  of  the  State.  No  person  shall  be  required  to  attend 
or  support  any  ministry  or  place  of  worship  against  his  consent,  nor 
shall  any  preference  be  given  by  law  to  any  religious  denomination 
or  mode  of  worship. 

§  4.  Every  person  may  freely  speak,  write  and  publish  on  all  sub- 
jects, being  responsible  for  the  abuse  of  that  liberty;  and  in  all  trials 
for  libel,  both  civil  and  criminal,  the  truth  when  published  with  good 
motives  and  for  justifiable  ends,  shall  be  a  sufficient  defense. 

§  5.  The  right  of  trial  by  jury,  as  heretofore  enjoyed,  shall  remain 
inviolate;  but  the  trial  of  civil  cases  before  justices  of  the  peace,  by 
a  jury  of  less  than  twelve  men,  may  be  authorized  by  law. 

§  6.  The  right  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons,  houses, 
papers  and  effects  against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures,  shall  not 
be  violated;  and  no  warrant  shall  issue  without  probable  cause,  sup- 
ported by  affidavit,  particularly  describing  the  place  to  be  searched, 
and  the  person  or  things  to  be  seized. 

§  7.  All  persons  shall  be  bailable  by  sufficient  sureties,  except  for 
capital  offenses  where  the  proof  is  evident  or  the  presumption  great; 
and  the  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  suspended, 
unless  when  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion  the  public  safety  may 
require  it. 

§  8.  No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  criminal  offense,  unless 
on  indictment  of  a  grand  jury,  except  in  cases  in  which  the  punish- 
ment is  by  fine,  or  imprisonment  otherwise  than  in  the  penitentiary, 
in  cases  of  impeachment,  and  in  cases  arising  in  the  army  and  navy, 
or  in  the  militia,  when  in  actual  service  in  time  of  war  or  public  dan- 
ger: Provided,  that  the  grand  jury  may  be  abolished  by  law  in  all 
cases. 

§  9.  In  all  criminal  prosecutions  the  accused  shall  have  the  right 
to  appear  and  defend  in  person  and  by  counsel;  to  demand  the  nature 
and  cause  of  the  accusation,  and  to  have  a  copy  thereof;  to  meet  the 
witnesses  face  to  face,  and  to  have  process  to  compel  the  attendance 
of  witnesses  in  his  behalf,  and  a  speedy  public  trial  by  an  impartial 
jury  of  the  county  or  district  in  which  the  offense  is  alleged  to  have 
been  committed. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  243 

§  10.  No  person  shall  be  compelled  in  any  criminal  case  to  give  evi- 
dence against  himself,  or  to  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  for  the  same  offense. 

§  11.  All  penalties  shall  be  proportioned  to  the  nature  of  the  offense; 
and  no  conviction  shall  work  corruption  of  blood  or  forfeiture  of  estate; 
nor  shall  any  person  be  transported  out  of  the  State  for  any  offense 
committed  within  the  same. 

§  12.  No  person  shall  be  imprisoned  for  debt,  unless  upon  refusal 
to  deliver  up  his  estate  for  the  benefit  of  his  creditors,  in  such  manner 
as  shall  be  prescribed  by  law;  or  in  cases  where  there  is  strong  presump- 
tion of  fraud. 

§  13.  Private  property  shall  not  be  taken  or  damaged  for  public 
use  without  just  compensation.  Such  compensation,  when  not  made 
by  the  State,  shall  be  ascertained  by  a  jury,  as  shall  be  prescribed 
by  law.  The  fee  of  land  taken  for  railroad  tracks,  without  consent 
of  the  owners  thereof,  shall  remain  in  such  owners,  subject  to  the  use 
for  which  it  is  taken. 

§  14.  No  ex  post  facto  law,  or  law  impairing  the  obligation  of  con- 
tracts, or  making  any  irrevocable  grant  of  special  privilege  or  im- 
munities, shall  be  passed. 

§  15.  The  military  shall  be  in  strict  subordination  to  the  civil  power. 

§  16.  No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  in  any  house 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner;  nor  in  time  of  war  except  in  the 
manner  prescribed  by  law. 

§  17.  The  people  have  the  right  to  assemble  in  a  peaceable  manner 
to  consult  for  the  common  good,  to  make  known  their  opinions  to  their 
representatives,  and  to  apply  for  redress  of  grievances. 

§  18.  All  elections  shall  be  free  and  equal. 

§  19.  Every  person  ought  to  find  a  certain  remedy  in  the  laws  for 
all  injuries  and  wrongs  which  he  may  receive  in  his  person,  property 
or  reputation;  he  ought  to  obtain  by  law,  right  and  justice  freely,  and 
without  being  obliged  to  purchase  it,  completely  and  without  denial, 
promptly  and  without  delay. 

§  20.  A  frequent  recurrence  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  civil 
government  is  absolutely  necessary  to  preserve  the  blessings  of  liberty. 

ARTICLE  III 
DISTRIBUTION  OF  POWERS 

The  powers  of  the  government  of  this  State  are  divided  into  three 
distinct  departments — the  legislative,  executive  and  judicial;  and  no 
person,  or  collection  of  persons,  being  one  of  these  departments,  shall 
exercise  any  power  properly  belonging  to  either  of  the  others,  except 
as  hereinafter  expressly  directed  or  permitted. 


244  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

ARTICLE  IV 
LEGISLATIVE  DEPARTMENT 

§  1.  The  legislative  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  General  Assembly, 
which  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  both 
to  be  elected  by  the  people. 

ELECTION 

§  2.  An  election  for  members  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  be 
held  on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  in  November,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy,  and  every 
two  years  thereafter,  in  each  county,  at  such  places  therein  as  may  be 
provided  by  law.  When  vacancies  occur  in  either  house,  the  Governor, 
or  person  exercising  the  powers  of  Governor,  shall  issue  writs  of  elec- 
tion to  fill  such  vacancies. 

ELIGIBILITY   AND    OATH 

§  3.  No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  who  shall  not  have  attained  the 
age  of  25  years,  or  a  Representative  who  shall  not  have  attained  the 
age  of  21  years.  No  person  shall  be  a  Senator  or  a  Representative  who 
shall  not  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  and  who  shall  not  have  been 
for  five  years  a  resident  of  this  State,  and  for  two  years  next  preceding 
his  election  a  resident  within  the  territory  forming  the  district  from 
which  he  is  elected.  No  judge  or  clerk  of  any  court,  Secretary  of  State, 
Attorney  General,  State's  attorney,  recorder,  sheriff,  or  collector  of 
public  revenue,  members  of  either  house  of  congress,  or  persons  holding 
any  lucrative  office  under  the  United  States  or  this  State,  or  any  foreign 
government,  shall  have  a  seat  in  the  General  Assembly:  Provided,  that 
appointments  in  the  militia,  and  the  offices  of  notary  public  and  justice 
of  the  peace,  shall  not  be  considered  lucrative.  Nor  shall  any  person 
holding  any  office  of  honor  or  profit  under  any  foreign  government,  or 
under  the  government  of  the  United  States  (except  postmasters  whose 
annual  compensation  does  not  exceed  the  sum  of  $300.00),  hold  any 
office  of  honor  or  profit  under  the  authority  of  this  State. 

§  4.  No  person  who  has  been,  or  hereafter  shall  be  convicted  of 
bribery,  perjury  or  other  infamous  crime,  nor  any  person  who  has 
been  or  may  be  a  collector  or  holder  of  public  moneys,  who  shall  not 
have  accounted  for  and  paid  over,  according  to  law,  all  such  moneys 
due  from  him,  shall  be  eligible  to  the  General  Assembly,  or  to  any 
office  of  profit  or  trust  in  this  State. 

§  5.  Members  of  the  General  Assembly,  before  they  enter  upon 
their  official  duties,  shall  take  and  subscribe  the  following  oath  or 
affirmation: 


.    CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  245 

"I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  support  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  will  faithfully 
discharge  the  duties  of  Senator  (or  Representative)  according  to  the  best  of  my 
ability;  and  that  I  have  not  knowingly  or  intentionally  paid  or  contributed  any- 
thing, or  made  any  promise  in  the  nature  of  a  bribe  to  directry  or  indirectly  in- 
fluence any  vote  at  the  election  at  which  I  was  chosen  to  fill  the  said  office,  and 
have  not  accepted,  nor  will  I  accept  or  receive,  directly  or  indirectly,  any  money 
or  other  valuable  thing  from  any  corporation,  company  or  person  for  any  vote 
or  influence  I  may  give  or  withhold  on  any  bill,  resolution  or  appropriation,  or 
for  any  other  official  act." 

This  oath  shall  be  administered  by  a  judge  of  the  supreme  or  circuit 
court  in  the  hall  of  the  house  to  which  the  member  is  elected,  and  the 
Secretary  of  State  shall  record  and  file  the  oath  subscribed  by  each 
member.  Any  member  who  shall  refuse  to  take  the  oath  herein  pre- 
scribed shall  forfeit  his  office,  and  every  member  who  shall  be  con- 
victed of  having  sworn  falsely  to,  or  of  violating,  his  said  oath,  shall 
forfeit  his  office  and  be  disqualified  thereafter  from  holding  any  office 
of  profit  or  trust  in  this  State. 

APPORTIONMENT — SENATORIAL 

§  6.  The  General  Assembly  shall  apportion  the  State  every  ten 
years,  beginning  with  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy- 
one,  by  dividing  the  population  of  the  State,  as  ascertained  by  the 
federal  census,  by  the  number  fifty-one,  and  the  quotient  shall  be  the 
ratio  of  representation  in  the  Senate.  •  The  State  shall  be  divided  into 
fifty-one  Senatorial  districts,  each  of  which  shall  elect  one  Senator, 
whose  term  of  office  shall  be  four  years.  The  Senators  elected  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-two,  in 
districts  bearing  odd  numbers,  shall  vacate  their  offices  at  the  end  of 
two  years,  and  those  elected  in  districts  bearing  even  numbers  at  the 
end  of  four  years,  and  vacancies  occurring  by  the  expiration  of  term 
shall  be  filled  by  the  election  of  Senators  for  the  full  term.  Senatorial 
districts  shall  be  formed  of  contiguous  and  compact  territory,  bounded 
by  county  lines,  and  contain  as  nearly  as  practicable  an  equal  number 
of  inhabitants;  but  no  district  shall  contain  less  than  four  fifths  of 
the  senatorial  ratio.  Counties  containing  not  less  than  the  ratio  and 
three  fourths  may  be  divided  into  separate  districts,  and  shall  be 
entitled  to  two  Senators,  and  to  one  additional  Senator  for  each  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  equal  to  the  ratio  contained  by  such  counties  in 
excess  of  twice  the  number  of  said  ratio. 

REPRESENTATIVES;  MINORITY  REPRESENTATION 

§§7  and  8.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  consist  of  three  times 
the  number  of  the  members  of  the  Senate,  and  the  term  of  office  shall 
be  two  years.  Three  representatives  shall  be  elected  in  each  senatorial 
district  at  the  general  election  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 


246  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

eight  hundred  and  seventy-two,  and  every  two  years  thereafter.  In 
all  elections  of  representatives  aforesaid,  each  qualified  voter  may 
cast  as  many  votes  for  one  candidate  as  there  are  representatives  to 
be  elected,  or  may  distribute  the  same,  or  equal  parts  thereof,  among 
the  candidates,  as  he  shall  see  fit;  and  the  candidates  highest  in  votes 
shall  be  declared  elected. 

TIME    OF    MEETING    AND    GENERAL    RULES 

§  9.  The  sessions  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  commence  at  12:00 
o'clock  noon,  on  the  Wednesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  in  Janu- 
ary, in  the  year  next  ensuing  the  election  of  members  thereof,  and  at 
no  other  time,  unless  as  provided  by  this  Constitution.  A  majority 
of  the  members  elected  to  each  house  shall  constitute  a  quorum. 
Each  house  shall  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings,  and  be  the 
judge  of  the  election,  returns  and  qualifications  of  its  members;  shall 
choose  its  own  officers ;  and  the  Senate  shall  choose  a  temporary  presi- 
dent to  preside  when  the  Lieutenant  Governor  shall  not  attend  as 
president,  or  shall  act  as  Governor.  The  Secretary  of  State  shall  call 
the  House  of  Representatives  to  order  at  the  opening  of  each  new 
assembly,  and  preside  over  it  until  a  temporary  presiding  officer  thereof 
shall  have  been  chosen  and  shall  have  taken  his  seat.  No  member 
shall  be  expelled  by  either  house,  except  by  a  vote  of  two  thirds  of 
all  the  members  elected  to  that  house,  and  no  member  shall  be  twice 
expelled  for  the  same  offense.  Each  house  may  punish  by  imprison- 
ment any  person  not  a  member  who  shall  be  guilty  of  disrespect  to 
the  house  by  disorderly  or  contemptuous  behavior  in  its  presence. 
But  no  such  imprisonment  shall  extend  beyond  twenty-four  hours  at 
one  time,  unless  the  person  shall  persist  in  such  disorderly  or  con- 
temptuous behavior. 

§  10.  The  door  of  each  house  and  of  committees  of  the  whole  shall 
be  kept  open,  except  in  such  cases  as,  in  the  opinion  of  the  house,  re- 
quire secrecy.  Neither  house  shall,  without  the  consent  of  the  other, 
adjourn  for  more  than  two  days,  or  to  any  other  place  than  that  in 
which  the  two  houses  shall  be  sitting.  Each  house  shall  keep  a  journal 
of  its  proceedings,  which  shall  be  published.  In  the  senate,  at  the 
request  of  two  members,  and  in  the  House  at  the  request  of  five  mem- 
bers, the  yeas  and  nays  shall  be  taken  on  any  question,  and  entered 
upon  the  journal.  Any  two  members  of  either  house  shall  have  liberty 
to  dissent  from  and  protest,  in  respectful  language,  against  any  act 
or  resolution  which  they  think  injurious  to  the  public  or  to  any  in- 
dividual, and  have  the  reasons  of  their  dissent  entered  upon  the  journals. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  247 

STYLE   OF   LAWS    AND    PASSAGE   OF  BILLS 

§  11.  The  style  of  the  laws  of  this  State  shall  be:  "Be  it  enacted  by 
the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  represented  in  the  General  Assembly." 

§  12.  Bills  may  originate  in  either  house,  but  may  be  altered,  amended 
or  rejected  by  the  other;  and,  on  the  final  passage  of  all  bills,  the  vote 
shall  be  by  yeas  and  nays,  upon  each  bill  separately,  and  shall  be 
entered  upon  the  journal;  and  no  bill  shall  become  a  law  without  the 
concurrence  of  a  majority  of  the  members  elected  to  each  house. 

§  13.  Every  bill  shall  be  read  at  large  on  three  different  days,  in 
each  house;  and  the  bill  and  all  amendments  thereto  shall  be  printed 
before  the  vote  is  taken  on  its  final  passage;  and  every  bill,  having 
passed  both  houses,  shall  be  signed  by  the  speakers  thereof.  No  act 
hereafter  passed  shall  embrace  more  than  one  subject,  and  that  shall 
be  expressed  in  the  title.  But  if  any  subject  shall  be  embraced  in  an 
act  which  shall  not  be  expressed  in  the  title,  such  act  shall  be  void 
only  as  to  so  much  thereof  as  shall  not  be  so  expressed;  and  no  law 
shall  be  revived  or  amended  by  reference  to  its  title  only,  but  the  law 
revived,  or  the  section  amended,  shall  be  inserted  at  length  in  the 
new  act.  And  no  act  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  take  effect  until 
the  first  day  of  July  next  after  its  passage,  unless,  in  case  of  emergency 
(which  emergency  shall  be  expressed  in  the  preamble  or  body  of  the  act), 
the  General  Assembly  shall,  by  a  vote  of  two  thirds  of  all  the  members 
elected  to  each  house,  otherwise  direct. 

PRIVILEGES   AND   DISABILITIES 

§  14.  Senators  and  Representatives  shall,  in  all  cases,  except  treason, 
felony  or  breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  the 
session  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  in  going  to  and  returning  from 
the  same;  and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  house,  they  shall  not 
be  questioned  in  any  other  place. 

§  15.  No  person  elected  to  the  General  Assembly  shall  receive  any 
civil  appointment  within  this  State  from  the  Governor,  the  Governor 
and  Senate,  or  from  the  General  Assembly,  during  the  term  for  which 
he  shall  have  been  elected;  and  all  such  appointments,  and  all  votes 
given  for  any  such  members  for  any  such  office  or  appointment,  shall 
be  void;  nor  shall  any  member  of  the  General  Assembly  be  interested, 
either  directly  or  indirectly,  in  any  contract  with  the  State,  or  any 
county  thereof,  authorized  by  any  law  passed  during  the  term  for 
which  he  shall  have  been  elected,  or  within  one  year  after  the  expira- 
tion thereof, 


248  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 


PUBLIC    MONEYS   AND    APPROPRIATIONS 

§  16.  The  General  Assembly  shall  make  no  appropriation  of  money 
out  of  the  treasury  in  any  private  law.  Bills  making  appropriations 
for  the  pay  of  members  and  officers  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  for 
the  salaries  of  the  officers  of  the  government  shall  contain  no  pro- 
vision on  any  other  subject. 

§  17.  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  treasury  except  in  pur- 
suance of  an  appropriation  made  by  law,  and  on  the  presentation  of 
a  warrant  issued  by  the  Auditor  thereon;  and  no  money  shall  be  di- 
verted from  any  appropriation  made  for  any  purpose,  or  taken  from 
any  fund  whatever,  either  by  joint  or  separate  resolution.  The  Auditor 
shall,  within  sixty  days  after  the  adjournment  of  each  session  of  the 
General  Assembly,  prepare  and  publish  a  full  statement  of  all  money 
expended  at  such  session,  specifying  the  amount  of  each  item,  and 
to  whom  and  for  what  paid. 

§  18.  Each  General  Assembly  shall  provide  for  all  the  appropriations 
necessary  for  the  ordinary  and  contingent  expenses  of  the  govern- 
ment until  the  expiration  of  the  first  fiscal  quarter  after  the  adjourn- 
ment of  the  next  regular  session,  the  aggregate  amount  of  which  shall 
not  be  increased  without  a  vote  of  two  thirds  of  the  members  elected 
to  each  house,  nor  exceed  the  amount  of  revenue  authorized  by  law 
to  be  raised  in  such  time,  and  all  appropriations,  general  or  special, 
requiring  money  to  be  paid  out  of  the  State  treasury,  from  funds  be- 
longing to  the  State,  shall  end  with  such  fiscal  quarter:  Provided,  the 
State  may,  to  meet  casual  deficits  or  failures  in  revenues,  contract 
debts,  never  to  exceed  in  the  aggregate  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  and  moneys  thus  borrowed  shall  be  applied  to  the  purpose 
for  which  they  were  obtained,  or  to  pay  the  debt  thus  created,  and  to 
no  other  purpose;  and  no  other  debt,  except  for  the  purpose  of  repel- 
ling invasion,  suppressing  insurrection,  or  defending  the  State  in  war 
(for  payment  of  which  the  faith  of  the  State  shall  be  pledged),  shall 
be  contracted,  unless  the  law  authorizing  the  same  shall,  at  a  general 
election,  have  been  submitted  to  the  people  and  have  received  a  ma- 
jority of  the  votes  cast  for  members  of  the  General  Assembly  at  such 
election.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide  for  the  publication  of 
said  law  for  three  months,  at  least,  before  the  vote  of  the  people  shall 
be  taken  upon  the  same;  and  provision  shall  be  made,  at  the  time,  for 
the  payment  of  the  interest  annually,  as  it  shall  accrue,  by  a  tax  levied 
for  the  purpose,  or  from  other  sources  of  revenue;  which  law,  providing 
for  the  payment  of  such  interest  by  such  tax,  shall  be  irrepealable  until 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  249 

such  debt  be  paid:  And,  provided  further,  that  the  law  levying  the  tax 
shall  be  submitted  to  the  people  with  the  law  authorizing  the  debt  to  be 
contracted. 

§  19.  The  General  Assembly  shall  never  grant  or  authorize  extra 
compensation,  fee  or  allowance  to  any  public  officer,  agent,  servant  or 
contractor,  after  service  has  been  rendered  or  a  contract  made,  nor  au- 
thorize the  payment  of  any  claim,  or  part  thereof,  hereafter  created 
against  the  State  under  any  agreement  or  contract  made  without  ex- 
press authority  of  law;  and  all  such  unauthorized  agreements  or  con- 
tracts shall  be  null  and  void :  Provided,  the  General  Assembly  may  make 
appropriations  for  expenditures  incurred  in  suppressing  insurrection  or 
repelling  invasion. 

§  20.  The  State  shall  never  pay,  assume  or  become  responsible  for 
the  debts  or  liabilities  of,  or  in  any  manner  give,  loan  or  extend  its 
credit  to,  or  in  aid  of,  any  public  or  other  corporation,  association  or 
individual. 

PAY    OF    MEMBERS 

§  21.  The  members  of  the  General  Assembly  shall  receive  for  their 
services  the  sum  of  five  dollars  per  day,  during  the  first  session  held 
under  this  Constitution,  and  ten  cents  for  each  mile  necessarily  traveled 
in  going  to  and  returning  from  the  seat  of  government,  to  be  computed 
by  the  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts;  and  thereafter  such  compensation 
as  shall  be  prescribed  by  law,  and  no  other  allowance  or  emolument, 
directly  or  indirectly,  for  any  purpose  whatever,  except  the  sum  of 
fifty  dollars  per  session  to  each  member,  which  shall  be  in  full  for  post- 
age, stationery,  newspaper  and  all  other  incidental  expenses  and  per- 
quisites; but  no  change  shall  be  made  in  the  compensation  of  the 
General  Assembly  during  the  term  for  which  they  may  have  been 
elected.  The  pay  and  mileage  allowed  to  each  member  of  the  General 
Assembly  shall  be  certified  by  the  speakers  of  their  respective  houses, 
and  entered  on  .the  journals,  and  published  at  the  close  of  each  ses- 
sion. 

SPECIAL   LEGISLATION    PROHIBITED 

§  22.  The  General  Assembly  shall  not  pass  local  or  special  laws  in 
any  of  the  following  enumerated  cases,  that  is  to  say:  for — 
Granting  divorces; 

Changing  the  names  of  persons  or  places; 
Laying  out,  opening,  altering  and  working  roads  or  highways; 
Vacating  roads,  town  plats,  streets,  alleys,  and  public  grounds; 
Locating  or  changing  county  seats; 


250  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Regulating  county  and  township  affairs; 

Regulating  the  practice  in  courts  of  justice; 

Regulating  the  jurisdiction  and  duties  of  justices  of  the  peace,  police 
magistrates  and  constables; 

Providing  for  changes  of  venue  in  civil  and  criminal  cases; 

Incorporating  cities,  towns  or  villages,  or  changing  or  amending  the 
charter  of  any  town,  city  or  village; 

Providing  for  the  election  of  members  of  the  board  of  supervisors  in 
townships,  incorporated  towns  or  cities; 

Summoning  and  impaneling  grand  or  petit  juries; 

Providing  for  the  management  of  common  schools; 

Regulating  the  rate  of  interest  on  money; 

The  opening  and  conducting  of  any  election,  or  designating  the  place 
of  voting; 

The  sale  or  mortgage  of  real  estate  belonging  to  minors  or  others 
under  disability; 

Protection  of  game  or  fish; 

Chartering  or  licensing  ferries  or  toll-bridges; 

Remitting  fines,  penalties  or  forfeitures; 

Creating,  increasing  or  decreasing  fees,  percentage  or  allowances  of 
public  officers,  during  the  term  for  wrhich  said  officers  are  elected  or 
appointed. 

Changing  the  law  of  descent; 

Granting  to  any  corporation,  association,  or  individual,  the  right  to 
lay  down  railroad  tracks,  or  amending  existing  charters  for  such  pur- 
poses; 

Granting  to  any  corporation,  association  or  individual  any  special  or 
exclusive  privilege,  immunity  or  franchise  whatever; 

In  all  other  cases  where  a  general  law  can  be  made  applicable,  no 
special  law  shall  be  enacted; 

§  23.  The  General  Assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  release  or  ex- 
tinguish, in  whole  or  in  part,  the  indebtedness,  liability  or  obligation 
of  any  corporation  or  individual  to  this  State  or  to  any  municipal  cor- 
poration therein. 

IMPEACHMENT 

§  24.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  have  the  sole  power  of 
impeachment;  but  a  majority  of  all  the  members  elected  must  concur 
therein.  All  impeachments  shall  be  tried  by  the  Senate;  and  when 
sitting  for  that  purpose,  the  Senators  shall  be  upon  oath  or  affirmation 
to  do  justice  according  to  law  and  evidence.  When  the  Governor  of 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  251 

the  State  is  tried,  the  Chief  Justice  shall  preside.  No  person  shall  be 
convicted  without  the  concurrence  of  two  thirds  of  the  Senators  elected. 
But  judgment,  in  such  cases,  shall  not  extend  further  than  removal 
from  office,  and  disqualification  to  hold  any  office  of  honor,  profit  or 
trust  under  the  government  of  this  State.  The  party,  whether  con- 
victed or  acquitted,  shall,  nevertheless,  be  liable  to  prosecution,  trial, 
judgment  and  punishment  according  to  law. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

§  25.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide,  by  law,  that  the  fuel, 
stationery  and  printing  paper  furnished  for  the  use  of  the  State;  the 
copying,  printing,  binding  and  distributing  the  laws  and  journals,  and 
all  other  printing  ordered  by  the  General  Assembly,  shall  be  let  by 
contract  to  the  lowest  responsible  bidder;  but  the  General  Assembly 
shall  fix  a  maximum  price,  and  no  member  thereof,  or  other  officer  of 
the  State,  shall  be  interested,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  such  contract. 
But  all  such  contracts  shall  be  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Governor, 
and  if  he  disapproves  the  same,  there  shall  be  a  reletting  of  the  con- 
tract, in  such  manner  as  shall  be  prescribed  by  law. 

§  26.  The  State  of  Illinois  shall  never  be  made  defendant  in  any 
court  of  law  or  equity. 

§  27.  The  General  Assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  authorize  lotteries 
or  gift  enterprises,  for  any  purpose,  and  shall  pass  laws  to  prohibit  the 
sale  of  lottery  or  gift  enterprise  tickets  in  this  State. 

§  28.  No  law  shall  be  passed  which  shall  operate  to  extend  the  term 
of  any  public  officer  after  his  election  or  appointment. 

§  29.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  General  Assembly  to  pass  such  laws 
as  may  be  necessary  for  the  protection  of  operative  miners,  by  providing 
for  ventilation,  when  the  same  may  be  required,  and  the  construction  of 
escapement  shafts,  or  such  other  appliances  as  may  secure  safety  in  all 
coal  mines,  and  to  provide  for  the  enforcement  of  said  laws  by  such 
penalties  and  punishment  as  may  be  deemed  proper. 

§  30.  The  General  Assembly  may  provide  for  establishing  and  open- 
ing roads  and  cartways,  connected  with  a  public  road,  for  private  and 
public  use. 

§  31.  (Amended  in  1878.)  The  General  Assembly  may  pass  laws  per- 
mitting the  owners  of  lands  to  construct  drains,  ditches  and  leyees  for 
agricultural,  sanitary  or  mining  purposes,  across  the  lands  of  others,  and 
provide  for  the  organization  of  drainage  districts,  and  vest  the  corporate 
authorities  thereof  with  power  to  construct  and  maintain  levees,  drains 
and  ditches,  and  to  keep  in  repair  all  drains,  ditches  and  levees  hereto- 


252  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

fore  constructed  under  the  laws  of  this  State,  by  special  assessments 
upon  the  property  benefited  thereby. 

§  32.  The  General  Assembly  shall  pass  liberal  homestead  and  exemp- 
tion laws. 

§  33.  The  General  Assembly  shall  not  appropriate  out  of  the  State 
treasury,  or  expend  on  account  of  the  new  capitol  grounds,  and  con- 
struction, completion  and  furnishing  of  the  State  house,  a  sum  exceed- 
ing in  the  aggregate  $3,500,000.00,  inclusive  of  all  appropriations  here- 
tofore made,  without  first  submitting  the  proposition  for  an  additional 
expenditure  to  the  legal  voters  of  the  State  at  a  general  election;  nor 
unless  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  such  election  shall  be  for  the 
proposed  additional  expenditure. 

§  34.  (Amendment  of  1904.)  The  General  Assembly  shall  have 
power,  subject  to  the  conditions  and  limitations  hereinafter  contained, 
to  pass  any  law  (local,  special  or  general)  providing  a  scheme  or  charter 
of  local  municipal  government  for  the  territory  now  or  hereafter  em- 
braced within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Chicago.  The  law  or  laws  so 
passed  may  provide  for  consolidating  (in  whole  or  in  part)  in  the 
municipal  government  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  the  powers  now  vested  in 
the  city,  board  of  education,  township,  park  and  other  local  govern- 
ments and  authorities  having  jurisdiction  confined  to  or  within  said 
territory,  or  any  part  thereof,  and  for  the  assumption  by  the  city  of 
Chicago  of  the  debts  and  liabilities  (in  whole  or  in  part)  of  the  govern- 
ments or  corporate  authorities  whose  functions  within  its  territory  shall 
be  vested  in  said  city  of  Chicago,  and  may  authorize  said  city,  in  the 
event  of  its  becoming  liable  for  the  indebtedness  of  two  or  more  of  the 
existing  municipal  corporations  lying  wholly  within  said  city  of  Chicago, 
to  become  indebted  to  an  amount  (including  its  existing  indebtedness 
and  the  indebtedness  of  all  municipal  corporations  lying  wholly  within 
the  limits  of  said  city,  and  said  city's  proportionate  share  of  the  indebt- 
edness of  said  county  and  sanitary  district,  which  share  shall  be  deter- 
mined in  such  manner  as  the  General  Assembly  shall  prescribe)  in  the 
aggregate  not  exceeding  5  per  centum  of  the  full  value  of  the  taxable 
property  within  its  limits,  as  ascertained  by  the  last  assessment  either 
for  State  or  municipal  purposes  previous  to  the  incurring  of  such  in- 
debtedness (but  no  new  bonded  indebtedness,  other  than  for  refunding 
purposes,  shall  be  incurred  until  the  proposition  therefor  shall  be  con- 
sented to  by  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  said  city  voting  on  the 
question  at  any  election,  general,  municipal  or  special) ;  and  may  pro- 
vide for  the  assessment  of  property  and  the  levy  and  collection  of  taxes 
within  said  city  for  corporate  purposes  in  accordance  with  the  principles 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  253 

of  equality  and  uniformity  prescribed  by  this  Constitution;  and  may 
abolish  all  offices,  the  functions  of  which  shall  be  otherwise  provided  for; 
and  may  provide  for  the  annexation  of  territory  to  or  disconnection  of 
territory  from  said  city  of  Chicago  by  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  the 
legal  voters  (voting  on  the  question  at  any  election,  general,  municipal 
or  special)  of  the  said  city  and  of  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  such  ter- 
ritory, voting  on  the  question  at  any  election,  general,  municipal  or 
special ;  and  in  case  the  General  Assembly  shall  create  municipal  courts 
in  the  city  of  Chicago  it  may  abolish  the  offices  of  justices  of  the  peace, 
police  magistrates  and  constables  in  and  for  the  territory  within  said 
city,  and  may  limit  the  jurisdiction  of  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  terri- 
tory of  said  county  of  Cook  outside  of  said  city  to  that  territory,  and  in 
such  case  the  jurisdiction  and  practice  of  said  municipal  courts  shall  be 
such  as  the  General  Assembly  shall  prescribe;  and  the  General  Assembly 
may  pass  all  laws  which  it  may  deem  requisite  to  effectually  provide  a 
complete  system  of  local  municipal  government  in  and  for  the  city  of 
Chicago. 

No  law  based  upon  this  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  affecting  the 
municipal  government  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  shall  take  effect  until  such 
law  shall  be  consented  to  by  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  said  city 
voting  on  the  question  at  any  election,  general,  municipal  or  special; 
and  no  local  or  special  law  based  upon  this  amendment  affecting  spe- 
cially any  part  of  the  city  of  Chicago  shall  take  effect  until  consented  to 
by  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  such  part  of  said  city  voting  on  the 
question  at  any  election,  general,  municipal  or  special.  Nothing  in  this 
section  contained  shall  be  construed  to  repeal,  amend  or  affect  section 
four  (4)  of  Article  XI  of  the  Constitution  of  this  State. 

ARTICLE  V 
EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT 

§  1.  The  executive  department  shall  consist  of  a  Governor,  Lieuten- 
ant Governor,  Secretary  of  State,  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts,  Treas- 
urer, Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  and  Attorney  General,  who 
shall  each,  with  the  exception  of  the  Treasurer,  hold  his  office  for  the 
term  of  four  years  from  the  second  Monday  of  January  next  after  his 
election  and  until  his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified.  They  shall,  ex- 
cept the  Lieutenant  Governor,  reside  at  the  seat  of  government  during 
their  term  of  office,  and  keep  the  public  records,  books  and  papers  there, 
and  shall  perform  such  duties  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 

§  2.  The  Treasurer  shall  hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  two  years,  and 
until  his  successor  is  elected  and  qualified ;  and  shall  be  ineligible  to  said 


254  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

office  for  two  years  next  after  the  end  of  the  term  for  which  he  was 
elected.  He  may  be  required  by  the  Governor  to  give  reasonable  ad- 
ditional security,  and  in  default  of  so  doing  his  office  shall  be  deemed 
vacant. 

ELECTION 

§  3.  An  election  for  Governor,  Lieutenant  Governor,  Secretary  of 
State,  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  and  Attorney  General  shall  be  held 
on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  first  Monday  of  November,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-two,  and  every  four 
years  thereafter;  for  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  on  the  Tues- 
day next  after  the  first  Monday  of  November  in  the  year  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  seventy,  and  every  two  years  thereafter;  and  for 
Treasurer  on  the  day  last  above  mentioned,  and  every  two  years  there- 
after, at  such  places  and  in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 

§  4.  The  returns  of  every  election  for  the  above  named  officers  shall  be 
sealed  up  and  transmitted  by  the  returning  officers  to  the  Secretary  of 
State  directed  to  the  "Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,"  who 
shall,  immediately  after  the  organization  of  the  House  and  before  pro- 
ceeding to  other  business,  open  and  publish  the  same  in  the  presence  of 
a  majority  of  each  house  of  the  General  Assembly,  who  shall,  for  that 
purpose,  assemble  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  The 
person  having  the  highest  number  of  votes  for  either  of  said  offices 
shall  be  declared  duly  elected;  but  if  two  or  more  have  an  equal,  and  the 
highest  number  of  votes,  the  General  Assembly  shall,  by  joint  ballot, 
choose  one  of  such  persons  for  said  office.  Contested  elections  for  all 
of  said  offices  shall  be  determined  by  both  houses  of  the  General  As- 
sembly, by  joint  ballot,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 

ELIGIBILITY 

§  5.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  Governor  or  Lieutenant 
Governor  who  shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of  30  years,  and  been,  for 
five  years  next  preceding  his  election,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  and 
of  this  State.  Neither  the  Governor,  Lieutenant  Governor,  Auditor  of 
Public  Accounts,  Secretary  of  State,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion, nor  Attorney  General  shall  be  eligible  to  any  other  office  during 
the  period  for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected. 

GOVERNOR 

§  6.  The  supreme  executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  the  Governor, 
who  shall  take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully  executed. 

§  7.  The  Governor  shall,  at  the  commencement  of  each  session  and  at 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  255 

the  close  of  his  term  of  office,  give  to  the  General  Assembly  information, 
by  message,  of  the  condition  of  the  State,  and  shall  recommend  such 
measures  as  he  shall  deem  expedient.  He  shall  account  to  the  General 
Assembly,  and  accompany  his  message  with  a  statement  of  all  moneys 
received  and  paid  out  by  him  from  any  funo^s  subject  to  his  order,  with 
vouchers,  and  at  the  commencement  of  each  regular  session,  present 
estimates  of  the  amount  of  money  required  to  be  raised  by*  taxation  for 
all  purposes. 

§  8.  The  Governor  may,  on  extraordinary  occasions,  convene  the 
General  Assembly,  by  proclamation,  stating  therein  the  purpose  for 
which  they  are  convened,  and  the  General  Assembly  shall  enter  upon  no 
business  except  that  for  which  they  were  called  together. 

§  9.  In  case  of  a  disagreement  between  the  two  houses  with  respect 
to  the  time  of  adjournment,  the  Governor  may,  on  the  same  being  certi- 
fied to  him  by  the  house  first  moving  the  adjournment,  adjourn  the 
General  Assembly  to  such  time  as  he  thinks  proper,  not  beyond  the  first 
day  of  the  next  regular  session. 

§  10.  The  Governor  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  and 
consent  of  the  Senate  (a  majority  of  all  the  Senators  elected  concurring 
by  yeas  and  nays) ,  appoint  all  officers  whose  offices  are  established  by 
this  Constitution,  or  which  may  be  created  by  law,  and  whose  appoint- 
ment or  election  is  not  otherwise  provided  for;  and  no  such  officer  shall 
be  appointed  or  elected  by  the  General  Assembly. 

§  11.  In  case  of  a  vacancy,  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate,  in  any 
office  which  is  not  elective,  the  Governor  shall  make  a  temporary  ap- 
pointment until  the  next  meeting  of  the  Senate,  when  he  shall  nominate 
some  person  to  fill  such  office;  and  any  person  so  nominated  who  is  con- 
firmed by  the  Senate  (a  majority  of  all  the  Senators  elected  concurring 
by  yeas  and  nays),  shall  hold  his  office  during  the  remainder  of  the  term, 
and  until  his  successor  shall  be  appointed  and  qualified.  No  person, 
after  being  rejected  by  the  Senate,  shall  be  again  nominated  for  the 
same  office  at  the  same  session,  unless  at  the  request  of  the  Senate,  or  be 
appointed  to  the  same  office  during  the  recess  of  the  General  Assembly. 

§  12.  The  Governor  shall  have  power  to  remove  any  officer  whom  he 
may  appoint,  in  case  of  incompetency,  neglect  of  duty  or  malfeasance 
in  office ;  and  he  may  declare  his  office  vacant  and  fill  the  same  as  is 
herein  provided  in  other  cases  of  vacancy. 

§  13.  The  Governor  shall  have  power  to  grant  reprieves,  commuta- 
tions and  pardons,  after  conviction,  for  all  offenses,  subject  to  such  regu- 
lations as  may  be  provided  by  law  relative  to  the  manner  of  applying 
therefor. 


256  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

§  14.  The  Governor  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  military  and 
naval  forces  of  the  State  (except  when  they  shall  be  called  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States),  and  may  call  out  the  same  to  execute 
laws,  suppress  insurrection  and  repel  invasion. 

§  15.  The  Governor  and  all  civil  officers  of  the  State  shall  be  liable  to 
impeachment  for  any  misdemeanor  in  office. 


§  16.  (Amended  in  1884.)  Every  bill  passed  by  the  General  As- 
sembly shall,  before  it  becomes  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  Governor. 
If  he  approve,  he  shall  sign  it,  and  thereupon  it  shall  become  a  law;  but 
if  he  do  not  approve,  he  shall  return  it,  with  his  objections,  to  the  house 
in  which  it  shall  have  originated,  which  house  shall  enter  the  objections 
at  large  upon  its  journal  and  proceed  to  reconsider  the  bill.  If  then  two 
thirds  of  the  members  elected  agree  to  pass  the  same,  it  shall  be  sent, 
together  with  the  objections,  to  the  other  house,  by  which  it  shall  like- 
wise be  reconsidered;  and  if  approved  by  two  thirds  of  the  members 
elected  to  that  house,  it  shall  become  a  law,  notwithstanding  the  objec- 
tions of  the  Governor;  but  in  all  such  cases  the  vote  of  each  house  shall 
be  determined  by  yeas  and  nays,  to  be  entered  upon  the  journal.  Bills 
making  appropriations  of  money  out  of  the  treasury  shall  specify  the 
objects  and  purposes  for  which  the  same  are  made,  and  appropriate  to 
them  respectively  their  several  amounts  in  distinct  items  and  sections. 
And  if  the  Governor  shall  not  approve  any  one  or  more  of  the  items  or 
sections  contained  in  any  bill,  but  shall  approve  the  residue  thereof,  it 
shall  become  a  Jaw,  as  to  the  residue,  in  like  manner  as  if  he  had  signed 
it.  The  Governor  shall  then  return  the  bill,  with  his  objections  to  the 
items  or  sections  of  the  same  not  approved  by  him,  to  the  house  in  which 
the  bill  shall  have  originated,  which  house  shall  enter  the  objections  at 
large  upon  its  journal,  and  proceed  to  reconsider  so  much  of  said  bill  as  is 
not  approved  by  the  Governor.  The  same  proceedings  shall  be  had  in 
both  houses  in  reconsidering  the  same  as  is  hereinbefore  provided  in  case 
of  an  entire  bill  returned  by  the  Governor  with  his  objections;  and  if  any 
item  or  section  of  said  bill  not  approved  by  the  Governor  shall  be  passed 
by  two  thirds  of  the  members  elected  to  each  of  the  two  houses  of  the 
General  Assembly,  it  shall  become  part  of  said  law,  notwithstanding  the 
objections  of  the  Governor.  Any  bill  which  shall  not  be  returned  by  the 
Governor  within  ten  days  (Sundays  excepted)  after  it  shall  have  been 
presented  to  him,  shall  become  a  law  in  like  manner  as  if  he  had  signed 
it,  unless  the  General  Assembly  shall  by  their  adjournment  prevent  its 
return,  in  which  case  it  shall  be  filed  with  his  objections  in  the  office  of 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  257 

the  Secretary  of  State,  within  ten  days  after  such  adjournment,  or  be- 
come a  law. 

LIEUTENANT   GOVERNOR 

§  17.  In  case  of  the  death,  conviction  on  impeachment,  failure  to 
qualify,  resignation,  absence  from  the  State,  or  other  disability  of  the 
Governor,  the  powers,  duties  and  emoluments  of  the  office  for  the  residue 
of  the  term,  or  until  the  disability  shall  be  removed,  shall  devolve  upon 
the  Lieutenant  Governor. 

§  18.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  shall  be  President  of  the  Senate,  and 
shall  vote  only  when  the  Senate  is  equally  divided.  The  Senate  shall 
choose  a  president,  pro  tempore,  to  preside  in  case  of  the  absence  or  im- 
peachment of  the  Lieutenant  Governor,  or  when  he  shall  hold  office  of 
Governor. 

§  19.  If  there  be  no  Lieutenant  Governor,  or  if  the  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor shall,  for  any  of  the  causes  specified  in  section  seventeen  of  this 
article,  become  incapable  of  performing  the  duties  of  the  office,  the 
President  of  the  Senate  shall  act  as  Governor  until  the  vacancy  is  filled 
or  the  disability  removed;  and  if  the  President  of  the  Senate,  for  any  of 
the  above  named  causes,  shall  become  incapable  of  performing  the 
duties  of  Governor,  the  same  shall  devolve  upon  the  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives. 

OTHER    STATE    OFFICERS 

§  20.  If  the  office  of  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts,  Treasurer,  Secretary 
of  State,  Attorney  General,  or  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
shall  be  vacated  by  death,  resignation  or  otherwise,  it  shall  be  the  duty 
of  the  Governor  to  fill  the  same  by  appointment,  and  the  appointee  shall 
hold  his  office  until  his  successor  shall  be  elected  and  qualified  in  such  a 
manner  as  provided  by  law.  An  account  shall  be  kept  by  the  officers  of 
the  executive  department,  and  of  all  the  public  institutions  of  the  State, 
of  all  moneys  received  or  disbursed  by  them,  severally,  from  all  sources, 
and  for  every  service  performed,  and  a  semiannual  report  thereof  bo 
made  to  the  Governor,  under  oath;  and  any  officer  who  makes  a  false 
report  shall  be  guilty  of  perjury,  and  punished  accordingly. 

§  21.  The  officers  of  the  executive  department,  and  all  the  public  in- 
stitutions of  the  State,  shall,  at  least  ten  days  preceding  each  regular 
session  of  the  General  Assembly,  severally  report  to  the  Governor,  who 
shall  transmit  such  reports  to  the  General  Assembly  together  with  the 
reports  of  the  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  defects  in  the  Constitution 
and  laws;  and  the  Governor  may  at  any  time  require  information,  in 
writing,  under  oath,  from  tbe  officers  of  the  executive  department,  and 
Illinois — 17 


258  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

all  officers  and  managers  of  State  institutions,  upon  any  subject  relating 
to  the  condition,  management  and  expenses  of  their  respective  offices. 


THE    SEAL    OF    STATE 

§  22.  There  shall  be  a  seal  of  the  State,  which  shall  be  called  the 
"Great  Seal  of  the  State  of  Illinois,"  which  shall  be  kept  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  and  used  by  him,  officially,  as  directed  by  law. 

FEES   AND    SALARIES 

§  23.  The  officers  named  in  this  article  shall  receive  for  their  services 
a  salary,  to  be  established  by  law,  which  shall  not  be  increased  or  dimin- 
ished during  their  official  terms,  and  they  shall  not,  after  the  expiration 
of  the  terms  of  those  in  office  at  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  re- 
ceive to  their  own  use  any  fees,  costs,  perquisites  of  office,  or  other  com- 
pensation. And  all  fees  that  may  hereafter  be  payable  by  law  for  any 
services  performed  by  any  officer  provided  for  in  this  article  of  the 
Constitution,  shall  be  paid  in  advance  into  the  State  treasury. 

DEFINITION    AND    OATH    OF    OFFICE 

§  24.  An  office  is  a  public  position  created  by  the  Constitution  or  law, 
continuing  during  the  pleasure  of  the  appointing  power,  or  for  a  fixed 
time,  with  a  successor  elected  or  appointed.  An  employment  is  an 
agency,  for  a  temporary  purpose,  which  ceases  when  that  purpose  is  ac- 
complished. 

§  25.  All  civil  officers,  except  members  of  the  General  Assembly  and 
such  inferior  officers  as  may  be  by  law  exempted,  shall,  before  they  enter 
on  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices,  take  and  subscribe  the  following 
oath  or  affirmation: 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm,  as  the  case  may  be)  that  I  will  support  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  and  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  that 
I  will  faithfully  discharge  the  duties  of  the  office  of  —  —  according  to  the  best  of 
my  ability." 

And  no  other  oath,  declaration  or  test  shall  be  required  as  a  qualifica- 
tion. 

ARTICLE  VI 
JUDICIAL  DEPARTMENT 

§  1.  The  judicial  powers,  except  as  in  this  article  is  otherwise  pro- 
vided, shall  be  vested  in  one  Supreme  Court,  circuit  courts,  county 
courts,  justices  of  the  peace,  police  magistrates,  and  in  such  courts  as 
may  be  created  by  law  in  and  for  cities  and  incorporated  towns. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  259 

SUPREME    COURT 

§  2.  The  Supreme  Court  shall  consist  of  seven  judges,  and  shall  have 
original  jurisdiction  in  cases  relating  to  the  revenue,  in  mandamus  and 
habeas  corpus,  and  appellate  jurisdiction  in  all  other  cases.  One  of  said 
judges  shall  be  Chief  Justice;  four  shall  constitute  a  quorum,  and  the 
concurrence  of  four  shall  be  necessary  to  every  decision. 

§  3.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  unless  he  shall  be  at  least  thirty  years  of  age,  and  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  nor  unless  he  shall  have  resided  in  this  State  five  years 
next  preceding  his  election,  and  be  a  resident  of  the  district  in  which  he 
shall  be  elected. 

§  4.  Terms  of  the  Supreme  Court  shall  continue  to  be  held  in  the  pres- 
ent grand  divisions  at  the  several  places  now  provided  for  holding  the 
same;  and  until  otherwise  provided  by  law,  one  or  more  terms  of  said 
court  shall  be  held,  for  the  Northern  division,  in  the  city  of  Chicago  each 
year,  at  such  times  as  said  court  may  appoint,  whenever  said  city  or  the 
county  of  Cook  shall  provide  appropriate  rooms  therefor,  and  the  use  of 
a  suitable  library,  without  expense  to  the  State.  The  judicial  divisions 
may  be  altered,  increased  or  diminished  in  number,  and  the  times  and 
places  of  holding  said  court  may  be  changed  by  law. 

§  5.  The  present  grand  divisions  shall  be  preserved,  and  be  denomi- 
nated Southern,  Central  and  Northern,  until  otherwise  provided  by  law. 
The  State  shall  be  divided  into  seven  districts  for  the  election  of  judges, 
and,  until  otherwise  provided  by  law  they  shall  be  as  follows: 

First  District. — The  counties  of  St.  Clair,  Clinton,  Washington,  Jeffer- 
son, Wayne,  Edwards,  Wabash,  White,  Hamilton,  Franklin,  Perry, 
Randolph,  Monroe,  Jackson,  Williamson,  Saline,  Gallatin,  Hardin, 
Pope,  Union,  Alexander,  Pulaski  and  Massac. 

Second  District. — The  counties  of  Madison,  Bond,  Marion,  Clay,  Rich- 
land,  Lawrence,  Crawford,  Jasper,  Effingham,  Fayette,  Montgomery, 
Macoupin,  Shelby,  Cumberland,  Clark,  Greene,  Jersey,  Calhoun  and 
Christian. 

Third  District. — The  counties  of  Sangamon,  Macon,  Logan,  DeWitt, 
Piatt,  Douglas,  Champaign,  Vermilion,  McLean,  Livingston,  Ford, 
Iroquois,  Coles,  Edgar,  Moultrie  and  Tazewell. 

Fourth  District. — The  counties  of  Fulton,  McDonough.  Hancock, 
Schuyler,  Brown,  Adams,  Pike,  Mason,  Menard,  Morgan,  Cass  and 
Scott. 

Fifth  District. — The  counties  of  Knox,  Warren,  Henderson,  Mercer, 
Henry,  Stark,  Peoria,  Marshall,  Putnam,  Bureau,  La  Salle,  Grundy  and 
Woodford. 


260  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

Sixth  District. — The  counties  of  Whiteside,  Carroll,  Jo  Daviess, 
Stephenson,  Winnebago,  Boone,  McHenry,  Kane,  Kendall,  DeKalb, 
Lee,  Ogle  and  Rock  Island. 

Seventh  District. — The  counties  of  Lake,  Cook,  Will,  Kankakee  and 
.DuPage. 

The  boundaries  of  the  districts  may  be  changed  at  the  session  of  the 
General  Assembly  next  preceding  the  election  of  judges  therein,  and  at 
no  other  time;  but  whenever  such  alterations  shall  be  made  the  same 
shall  be  upon  the  rule  of  equality  of  population,  as  nearly  as  county 
boundaries  will  allow,  and  the  districts  shall  be  composed  of  contiguous 
counties,  in  as  nearly  compact  form  as  circumstances  will  permit.  The 
alteration  of  the  districts  shall  not  affect  the  tenure  of  office  of  any  judge. 

§  6.  At  the  time  of  voting  on  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  one 
judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  shall  be  elected  by  the  electors  thereof,  in 
each  of  said  districts  numbered  two,  three,  six  and  seven,  who  shall 
hold  his  office  for  the  term  of  nine  years  from  tha  first  Monday  of  June, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy.  The 
term  of  office  of  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  elected  after  the  adoption 
of  this  Constitution,  shall  be  nine  years,  and  on  the  first  Monday  of  June 
of  the  year  in  which  the  term  of  any  of  the  judges  in  office  at  the  adoption 
of  this  Constitution,  or  of  the  judges  then  elected,  shall  expire,  and 
every  nine  years  thereafter,  there  shall  be  an  election  for  the  successor 
or  successors  of  such  judges  in  the  respective  districts  wherein  the  term 
of  such  judges  shall  expire.  The  Chief  Justice  shall  continue  to  act  as 
such  until  the  expiration  of  the  term  for  which  he  was  elected,  after 
which  the  judges  shall  choose  one  of  their  number  Chief  Justice. 

§  7.  From  and  after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  the  judges  of 
the  Supreme  Court  shall  each  receive  a  salary  of  four  thousand  dollars 
per  annum,  payable  quarterly,  until  otherwise  provided  by  law.  And 
after  said  salaries  shall  be  fixed  by  law,  the  salaries  of  the  judges  in  office 
shall  not  be  increased  or  diminished  during  the  terms  for  which  said 
judges  shall  have  been  elected. 

§  8.  Appeals  and  writs  of  error  may  be  taken  to  the  Supreme  Court 
held  in  the  grand  division  in  which  the  case  is  decided,  or  by  consent  of 
the  parties,  to  any  other  grand  division. 

§  9.  The  Supreme  Court  shall  appoint  one  reporter  of  its  decisions, 
who  shall  hold  his  office  for  six  years,  subject  to  removal  by  the  court. 

§  10.  At  the  time  of  the  election  of  Representatives  in  the  General 
Assembly,  happening  next  preceding  the  expiration  of  the  terms  of 
office  of  the  present  clerks  of  said  court,  one  clerk  of  said  court  for  each 
division  shall  be  elected,  whose  term  of  office  shall  be  six  years  from  said 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  261 

election,  but  who  shall  not  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  until  the 
expiration  of  the  term  of  his  predecessor,  and  every  six  years  thereafter 
one  clerk  of  said  court  for  each  division  shall  be  elected. 

APPELLATE    COURTS 

§  11.  After  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-four,  inferior  appellate  courts,  of  uniform  organization  and  ju- 
risdiction, may  be  created  in  districts  formed  for  that  purpose,  to  which 
such  appeals  and  writs  of  error  as  the  General  Assembly  may  pro- 
vide, may  be  prosecuted  from  circuit  and  other  courts,  and  from  which 
appeals  and  writs  of  error  shall  lie  to  the  Supreme  Court,  in  all  criminal 
cases,  and  cases  in  which  a  franchise,  or  freehold,  or  the  validity  of  a 
statute  is  involved,  and  in  such  other  cases  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 
Such  appellate  courts  shall  be  held  by  such  number  of  judges  of  the 
circuit  courts,  and  at  such  times  and  places,  and  in  such  manner  as  may 
be  provided  by  law;  but  no  judge  shall  sit  in  review  upon  cases  decided 
by  him;  nor  shall  said  judges  receive  any  additional  compensation  for 
such  services. 

CIRCUIT   COURTS 

§  12.  The  circuit  courts  shall  have  original  jurisdiction  of  all  causes 
in  law  and  equity,  and  such  appellate  jurisdiction  as  is  or  may  be  pro- 
vided by  law,  and  shall  hold  two  or  more  terms  each  year  in  every 
county.  The  terms  of  office  of  judges  of  circuit  courts  shall  be  six  years. 

§  13.  The  State  exclusive  of  the  county  of  Cook  and  other  counties 
having  a 'population  of  100,000,  shall  be  divided  into  judicial  circuits, 
prior  to  the  expiration  of  the  terms  of  office  of  the  present  judges  of  the 
circuit  courts.  Such  circuits  shall  be  formed  of  contiguous  counties,  in 
as  nearly  compact  form  and  as  nearly  equal  as  circumstances  will  per- 
mit, having  due  regard  to  business,  territory  and  population,  and  shall 
not  exceed  in  number  one  circuit  for  every  100,000  of  population  of  the 
State.  One  judge  shall  be  elected  for  each  of  said  circuits  by  the 
electors  thereof.  New  circuits  may  be  formed  and  the  boundaries  of 
circuits  changed  by  the  General  Assembly,  at  its  session  next  preceding 
the  election  for  circuit  judges,  but  at  no  other  time:  Provided,  that  the 
circuits  may  be  equalized  or  changed  at  the  first  session  of  the  General 
Assembly  after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution.  The  creation,  altera- 
tion or  change  of  any  circuit  shall  not  affect  the  tenure  of  office  of  any 
judge.  Whenever  the  business  of  the  circuit  court  of  any  one,  or  of  two 
or  more  contiguous  counties,  containing  a  population  exceeding  50,000, 
shall  occupy  nine  months  of  the  year,  the  General  Assembly  may  make 


262  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

of  such  county,  or  counties,  a  separate  circuit.  Whenever  additional 
circuits  are  created,  the  foregoing  limitations  shall  be  observed. 

§  14.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide  for  the  times  of  holding 
court  in  each  county;  which  shall  not  be  changed,  except  by  the  General 
Assembly  next  preceding  the  general  election  for  judges  of  said  courts; 
but  additional  terms  may  be  provided  for  in  any  county.  The  election 
for  judges  of  the  circuit  courts  shall  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  in  June 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-three, 
and  every  six  years  thereafter. 

§  15.  The  General  Assembly  may  divide  the  State  into  judicial  cir- 
cuits of  greater  population  and  territory,  in  lieu  of  the  circuits  provided 
for  in  section  13  of  this  article,  and  provide  for  the  election  therein, 
severally,  by  the  electors  thereof,  by  general  ticket,  of  not  exceeding 
four  judges,  who  shall  hold  the  circuit  courts  in  the  circuit  for  which 
they  shall  be  elected,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

§  16.  From  and  after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  judges  of  the 
circuit  courts  shall  receive  a  salary  of  $3,000.00  per  annum,  payable 
quarterly  until  otherwise  provided  by  law,  and  after  their  salaries  shall 
be  fixed  by  law  they  shall  not  be  increased  or  diminished  during  the 
terms  for  which  said  judges  shall  be,  respectively,  elected;  and  from  and 
after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  no  judge  of  the  Supreme  or  cir- 
cuit court  shall  receive  any  other  compensation,  perquisite  or  benefit, 
in  any  form  whatsoever,  nor  perform  any  other  than  judicial  duties  to 
which  may  belong  any  emoluments. 

§  17.  No  person  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  judge  of  the  circuit  or 
any  inferior  court,  or  to  membership  in  the  "  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners," unless  he  shall  be  at  least  twenty-five  years  of  age  and  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States,  nor  unless  he  shall  have  resided  in  this  State  five 
years  next  preceding  his  election,  and  be  a  resident  of  the  circuit,  county, 
city,  cities  or  incorporated  town  in  which  he  shall  be  elected. 

COUNTY   COURTS 

§  18.  There  shall  be  elected  in  and  for  each  county  one  county  judge 
and  one  clerk  of  the  county  court,  whose  term  of  office  shall  be  four 
years.  But  the  General  Assembly  may  create  districts  of  two  or  more 
contiguous  counties,  in  each  of  which  shall  be  elected  one  judge,  who 
shall  take  the  place  of  and  exercise  the  powers  and  jurisdiction  of  county 
judges  in  such  districts.  County  courts  shall  be  courts  of  record,  and 
shall  have  original  jurisdiction  in  all  matters  of  probate,  settlement  of 
estates  of  deceased  persons,  appointment  of  guardians  and  conservators 
and  settlement  of  their  accounts,  in  all  matters  relating  to  apprentices, 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  263 

and  in  proceedings  for  the  collection  of  taxes  and  assessments,  and  such 
other  jurisdiction  as  may  be  provided  for  by  general  law. 

§  19.  Appeals  and  writs  of  error  shall  be  allowed  from  final  determina- 
tions of  county  courts,  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

PROBATE    COURTS 

§  20.  The  General  Assembly  may  provide  for  the  establishment  of  a 
probate  court  in  each  county  having  a  population  of  over  50,000,  and 
for  the  election  of  a  judge  thereof,  whose  term  of  office  shall  be  the 
same  as  that  of  the  county  judge,  and  who  shall  be  elected  at  the  same 
time  and  in  the  same  manner.  Said  courts,  when  established,  shall 
have  original  jurisdiction  of  all  probate  matters,  the  settlement  of  es- 
tates of  deceased  persons,  the  appointment  of  guardians  and  con- 
servators, and  settlement  of  their  accounts;  in  all  matters  relating  to 
apprentices,  and  in  cases  of  sales  of  real  estate  of  deceased  persons  for 
the  payment  of  debts. 

JUSTICES    OF   THE    PEACE   AND    CONSTABLES 

§  21.  Justices  of  the  peace,  police  magistrates  and  constables  shall  be 
elected  in  and  for  such  districts  as  are,  or  may  be  provided  by  law,  and 
the  jurisdiction  of  such  justices  of  the  peace  and  police  magistrates  shall 
be  uniform. 

STATE'S  ATTORNEYS 

§  22.  At  the  election  for  members  of  the  General  Assembly  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-two,  and 
every  four  years  thereafter,  there  shall  be  elected  a  State's  attorney  in 
and  for  each  county,  in  lieu  of  the  State's  attorneys  now  provided  by 
law,  whose  term  of  office  shall  be  four  years. 

COURTS   OF   COOK   COUNTY 

§  23.  The  county  of  Cook  shall  be  one  judicial  circuit.  The  circuit 
court  of  Cook  county  shall  consist  of  five  judges,  until  their  number 
shall  be  increased  as  herein  provided.  The  present  judge  of  the  re- 
corder's court  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  the  present  j  udge  of  the  circuit 
court  of  Cook  county,  shall  be  two  of  said  judges,  and  shall  remain  in 
office  for  the  terms  for  which  they  were  respectively  elected,  and  until 
their  successors  shall  be  elected  and  qualified.  The  superior  court  of 
Chicago  shall  be  continued,  and  called  the  "Superior  Court  of  Cook 
County."  The  General  Assembly  may  increase  the  number  of  said 
judges,  by  adding  one  to  either  of  said  courts  for  every  additional  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants  in  said  county  over  and  above  a  population  of 


264  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

four  hundred  thousand.  The  terms  of  office  of  the  judges  of  said  courts, 
hereafter  elected,  shall  be  six  years. 

§  24.  The  judge  having  the  shortest  unexpired  term  shall  be  Chief 
Justice  of  the  court  of  which  he  is  a  judge.  In  case  there  are  two  or  more 
whose  terms  expire  at  the  same  time,  it  may  be  determined  by  lot 
which  shall  be  Chief  Justice.  Any  judge  of  either  of  said  courts  shall 
have  all  the  powers  of  a  circuit  judge,  and  may  hold  the  court  of  which 
he  is  a  member.  Each  of  them  may  hold  a  different  branch  thereof  at 
the  same  time. 

§  25.  The  judges  of  the  superior  and  circuit  courts,  and  the  State's 
attorney,  in  said  county,  shall  receive  the  same  salaries,  payable  out  of 
the  State  treasury,  as  is  or  may  be  paid  from  said  treasury  to  the  circuit 
judges  and  State's  attorneys  of  the  State,  and  such  further  compensa- 
tion, to  be  paid  by  the  county  of  Cook,  as  is  or  may  be  provided  by 
law.  Such  compensation  shall  not  be  changed  during  their  continuance 
in  office. 

§  26.  The  recorder's  court  of  the  city  of  Chicago  shall  be  continued, 
and  shall  be  called  the  "  Criminal  Court  of  Cook  County."  It  shall  have 
the  jurisdiction  of  a  circuit  court  in  all  cases  of  criminal  and  quasi 
criminal  nature,  arising  in  the  county  of  Cook,  or  that  may  be  brought 
before  said  court  pursuant  to  law;  and  all  recognizances  and  appeals 
taken  in  said  county,  in  criminal  and  quasi  criminal  cases  shall  be  re- 
turnable and  taken  to  said  court.  It  shall  have  no  jurisdiction  in  civil 
cases,  except  in  those  on  behalf  of  the  people,  and  incident  to  such 
criminal  or  quasi  criminal  matters,  and  to  dispose  of  unfinished  busi- 
ness. The  terms  of  said  criminal  court  of  Cook  county  shall  be  held  by 
one  or  more  of  the  judges  of  the  circuit  or  superior  court  of  Cook  county, 
as  nearly  as  may  be  in  alteration,  as  may  be  determined  by  said  judges, 
or  provided  by  law.  Said  judges  shall  be  ex  officio  judges  of  said  court. 

§  27.  The  present  clerk  of  the  recorder's  court  of  the  city  of  Chicago 
shall  be  the  clerk  of  the  criminal  court  of  Cook  county  during  the  term 
for  which  he  was  elected.  The  present  clerks  of  the  superior  court  of 
Chicago,  and  the  present  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  of  Cook  county,  shall 
continue  in  office  during  the  terms  for  which  they  were  respectively 
elected ;  and  thereafter  there  shall  be  but  one  clerk  of  the  superior  court, 
to  be  elected  by  the  qualified  electors  of  said  county,  who  shall  hold  his 
office  for  the  term  of  four  years,  and  until  his  successor  is  elected  and 
qualified. 

§  28.  All  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  city  of  Chicago  shall  be  ap- 
pointed by  the  Governor,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
Senate  (but  only  upon  the  recommendation  of  a  majority  of  the  judges 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  265 

of  the  circuit,  superior  and  county  courts),  and  for  such  districts  as  are 
now  or  shall  hereafter  be  provided  by  law.  They  shall  hold  their  office 
for  four  years,  and  until  their  successors  have  been  commissioned  and 
qualified,  but  they  may  be  removed  by  summary  proceeding  in  the 
circuit  or  superior  court,  for  extortion  or  other  malfeasance.  Existing 
justices  of  the  peace  and  police  magistrates  may  hold  their  offices  until 
the  expiration  of  their  respective  terms. 

GENERAL   PROVISIONS 

§  29.  All  judicial  officers  shall  be  commissioned  by  the  Governor. 
All  laws  relating  to  courts  shall  be  general  and  of  uniform  operation, 
and  the  organization,  jurisdiction,  powers,  proceedings  and  practice  of 
all  courts  of  the  same  class  or  grade,  so  far  as  regulated  by  law,  and  the 
force  and  effect  of  the  process,  judgments  and  decrees  of  such  courts, 
severally,  shall  be  uniform. 

§  30.  The  General  Assembly  may,  for  cause  entered  on  the  journals, 
upon  due  notice  and  opportunity  of  defense,  remove  from  office  any 
judge,  upon  concurrence  of  three  fourths  of  all  the  members  elected,  of 
each  house.  All  other  officers  in  this  article  mentioned  shall  be  re- 
moved from  office  on  prosecution  and  final  conviction  for  misdemeanor 
in  office. 

§  31.  All  judges  of  courts  of  record,  inferior  to  the  Supreme  Court, 
shall,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  June  of  each  year,  report  in  writing 
to  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  such  defects  and  omissions  in  the 
laws  as  their  experience  may  suggest;  and  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  shall,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  January  of  each  year,  report  in 
writing  to  the  Governor  such  defects  and  omissions  in  the  Constitution 
and  laws  as  they  may  find  to  exist,  together  with  appropriate  forms  of 
bills  to  cure  such  defects  and  omissions  in  the  laws.  And  the  judges 
of  the  several  circuit  courts  shall  report  to  the  next  General  Assembly 
the  number  of  days  they  have  held  court  in  the  several  counties  com- 
posing their  respective  circuits,  the  preceding  two  years. 

§  32.  All  officers  provided  for  in  this  article  shall  hold  their  offices 
until  their  successors  shall  be  qualified,  and  they  shall,  respectively, 
reside  in  the  division,  circuit,  county  or  district  for  which  they  may  be 
elected  or  appointed.  The  terms  of  office  of  all  such  officers,  where  not 
otherwise  prescribed  in  this  article,  shall  be  four  years.  All  officers, 
where  not  otherwise  provided  for  in  this  article,  shall  perform  such 
duties  and  receive  such  compensation  as  is  or  may  be  provided  by  law. 
Vacancies  in  such  elective  offices  shall  be  filled  by  election;  but  where 
the  unexpired  term  does  no't  exceed  one  year  the  vacancy  shall  be 


266  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

filled  by  appointment,  as  follows:  Of  judges,  by  the  Governor;  of  clerks 
of  courts,  by  the  court  to  which  the  office  appertains,  or  by  the  judge 
or  judges  thereof;  and  of  all  such  other  offices,  by  the  board  of  super- 
visors, or  board  of  county  commissioners,  in  the  county  where  the 
vacancy  occurs. 

§  33.  All  process  shall  run:  In  the  name  of  the  People  of  the  State  of 
Illinois;  and  all  prosecutions  shall  be  carried  on:  In  the  name  and  by 
the  authority  of  the  People  of  the  State  of  Illinois;  and  conclude:  Against 
the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  same.  "  Population,"  whenever  used  in  this 
article,  shall  be  determined  by  the  next  preceding  census  of  this  State 
or  of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  VII 
SUFFRAGE 

§  1 .  Every  person  having  resided  in  this  State  one  year,  in  the  county 
ninety  days  and  in  the  election  district  thirty  days  next  preceding  any 
election  therein;  who  was  an  elector  in  this  State  on  the  first  day  of 
April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty- 
eight,  or  obtained  a  certificate  of  naturalization,  before  any  court  of 
record  in  this  State,  prior  to  the  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy,  or  who  shall  be  a  male 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  above  the  age  of  21  years,  shall  be  entitled 
to  vote  at  such  election. 

§  2.  All  votes  shall  be  by  ballot. 

§  3.  Electors  shall,  in  all  cases  except  treason,  felony  or  breach  of  the 
peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance  at  elections  and 
in  going  to  and  returning  from  the  same.  And  no  elector  shall  be  re- 
quired to  do  military  duty  on  the  days  of  election,  except  in  time  of  war 
or  public  danger. 

§  4.  No  elector  shall  be  deemed  to  have  lost  his  residence  in  this 
State  by  reason  of  his  absence  on  business  of  the  United  States  or  of  this 
State,  or  in  the  military  or  naval  service  of  the  United  States. 

§  5.  No  soldier,  seaman  or  marine  in  the  army  or  navy  of  the  United 
States  shall  be  deemed  a  resident  of  this  State  in  consequence  of  being 
stationed  therein. 

§  6.  No  person  shall  be  elected  or  appointed  to  any  office  in  this 
State,  civil  or  military,  who  is  not  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
who  shall  not  have  resided  in  this  State  one  year  next  preceding  the 
election  or  appointment. 

§  7.  The  General  Assembly  shall  pass  laws  excluding  from  the  right 
of  suffrage  persons  convicted  of  infamous  crimes. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  267 

ARTICLE  VIII 
EDUCATION 

§  1.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide  a  thorough  and  efficient 
system  of  free  schools  whereby  all  children  of  this  State'  may  receive  a 
good  common  school  education. 

§  2.  All  lands,  moneys  or  other  property,  donated,  granted  or  re- 
ceived for  school,  college,  seminary  or  university  purposes,  and  the 
proceeds  thereof  shall  be  faithfully  applied  to  the  objects  for  which  such 
gifts  or  grants  were  made. 

§  3.  Neither  the  General  Assembly  nor  any  county,  city,  town,  town- 
ship, school  district  or  other  public  corporation  shall  ever  make  any 
appropriation,  or  pay  from  any  public  fund  whatever,  anything  in  aid 
of  any  church  or  sectarian  purpose,  or  to  help  support  or  sustain  any 
school,  academy,  seminary,  college,  university  or  other  literary  or 
scientific  institution,  controlled  by  any  church  or  sectarian  denomina- 
tion whatever;  nor  shall  any  grant  or  donation  of  land,  money  or  other 
personal  property  ever  be  made  by  the  State  or  any  such  public  cor- 
poration to  any  church  or  for  any  sectarian  purpose. 

§  4.  No  teacher,  State,  county,  township  or  district  school  officer 
shall  be  interested  in  the  sale,  proceeds  or  profits  of  any  book,  apparatus 
or  furniture,  used  or  to  be  used  in  any  school  in  this  State,  with  which 
such  officer  or  teacher  may  be  connected,  under  such  penalties  as  may 
be  provided  by  the  General  Assembly. 

§  5.  There  may  be  a  county  superintendent  of  schools  in  each  county, 
whose  qualifications,  powers,  duties,  compensation  and  time  and  man- 
ner of  election  and  term  of  office  shall  be  prescribed  by  law. 

ARTICLE  IX 

REVENUE 

§  1 .  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide  such  revenue  as  may  be 
needful  by  levying  a  tax,  by  valuation,  so  that  every  person  and  corpo- 
ration shall  pay  a  tax  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  his,  her  or  its  prop- 
erty— such  value  to  be  ascertained  by  some  person  or  persons  to  be 
elected  or  appointed  in  such  manner  as  the  General  Assembly  shall 
direct,  and  not  otherwise;  but  the  General  Assembly  shall  have  power 
to  tax  peddlers,  auctioneers,  brokers,  hawkers,  merchants,  commission 
merchants,  showmen,  jugglers,  inn-keepers,  grocery-keepers,  liquor 
dealers,  toll-bridges,  ferries,  insurance,  telegraph  and  express  interests 
or  business,  venders  of  patents  and  persons  or  corporations  owning  or 
using  franchises  and  privileges,  in  such  manner  as  it  shall  from  time  to 


268  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

time  direct  by  general  law,  uniform  as  to  the  class  upon  which  it 
operates. 

§  2.  The  specification  of  the  objects  and  subjects  of  taxation  shall  not 
deprive  the  General  Assembly  of  the  power  to  require  other  subjects  or 
objects  to  be  taxed,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  consistent  with  the 
principles  of  taxation  fixed  in  this  Constitution. 

§  3.  The  property  of  the  State,  counties,  and  other  municipal  corpo- 
rations, both  real  and  personal,  and  such  other  property  as  may  be  used 
exclusively  for  agricultural  and  horticultural  societies,  for  school, 
religious,  cemetery  and  charitable  purposes,  may  be  exempted  from 
taxation;  but  such  exemption  shall  be  only  by  general  law.  In  the  as- 
sessment of  real  estate  incumbered  by  public  easement,  any  deprecia- 
tion occasioned  by  such  easement  may  be  deducted  in  the  valuation  of 
such  property. 

§  4.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide,  in  all  cases  where  it  may  be 
necessary  to  sell  real  estate  for  the  non-payment  of  taxes  or  special 
assessments,  for  State,  county,  municipal  or  other  purposes,  that  a 
return  of  such  unpaid  taxes  or  assessments  shall  be  made  to  some  gen- 
eral officer  of  the  county  having  authority  to  receive  State  and  county 
taxes;  and  there  shall  be  no  sale  of  said  property  for  any  of  said  taxes 
or  assessments  but  by  said  officer,  upon  the  order  or  j  udgment  of  some 
court  of  record. 

§  5.  The  right  of  redemption  from  all  sales  of  real  estate  for  the  non- 
payment of  taxes  or  special  assessments  of  any  character  whatever, 
shall  exist  in  favor  of  owners  and  persons  interested  in  such  real  estate 
for  a  period  of  not  less  than  two  years  from  such  sales  thereof.  And 
the  General  Assembly  shall  provide,  by  law,  for  reasonable  notice  to  be 
given  to  the  owners  or  parties  interested,  by  publication  or  otherwise, 
of  the  fact  of  the  sale  of  the  property  for  such  taxes  or  assessments;  and 
when  the  time  of  redemption  shall  expire:  Provided,  that  occupants 
shall  in  all  cases  be  served  with  personal  notice  before  the  time  of  re- 
demption expires. 

§  6.  The  General  Assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  release  or  dis- 
charge any  county,  city,  township,  town  or  district  whatever,  or  the 
inhabitants  thereof,  or  the  property  therein,  from  their  or  its  propor- 
tionate share  of  taxes  to  be  levied  for  State  purposes,  nor  shall  com- 
mutation for  such  taxes  be  authorized  in  any  form  whatsoever. 

§  7.  All  taxes  levied  for  State  purposes  shall  be  paid  into  the  State 
treasury. 

§  8.  County  authorities  shall  never  assess  taxes  the  aggregate  of 
which  shall  exceed  seventy-five  cents  per  one  hundred  dollars  valuation 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS.  269 

except  for  the  payment  of  indebtedness  existing  at  the  adoption  of 
this  Constitution,  unless  authorized  by  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the 
county. 

§  9.  The  General  Assembly  may  vest  the  corporate  authorities  of 
cities,  towns  and  villages  with  power  to  make  local  improvements  by 
special  assessment  or  by  special  taxation  of  contiguous  property,  or 
otherwise.  For  all  other  corporate  purposes,  all  municipal  corporations 
may  be  vested  with  authority  to  assess  and  collect  taxes;  but  such  taxes 
shall  be  uniform  in  respect  to  persons  and  property  within  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  body  imposing  the  same. 

§  10.  The  General  Assembly  shall  not  impose  taxes  upon  municipal 
corporations,  or  the  inhabitants  or  property  thereof,  for  corporate  pur- 
poses, but  shall  require  that  all  the  taxable  property  within  the  limits 
of  municipal  corporations  shall  be  taxed  for  the  payment  of  debts  con- 
tracted under  authority  of  law,  such  taxes  to  be  uniform  in  respect  to 
persons  and  property  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  body  imposing  the 
same.  Private  property  shall  not  be  liable  to  be  taken  or  sold  for  the 
payment  of  the  corporate  debts  of  a  municipal  corporation. 

§11.  No  person  who  is  in  default,  as  collector  or  custodian  of  money 
or  property  belonging  to  a  municipal  corporation,  shall  be  eligible  to 
any  office  in  or  under  such  corporation.  The  fees,  salary  or  compensa- 
tion of  no  municipal  officer  who  is  elected  or  appointed  for  a  definite 
term  of  office  shall  be  increased  or  diminished  during  such  term. 

§  12.  No  county,  city,  township,  school  district  or  other  municipal 
corporation  shall  be  allowed  to  become  indebted  in  any  manner  or 
for  any  purpose  to  an  amount,  including  existing  indebtedness  in 
the  aggregate  exceeding  five  per  centum  on  the  value  of  the  taxable 
property  therein,  to  be  ascertained  by  the  last  assessment  for  State 
and  county  taxes  previous  to  the  incurring  of  such  indebtedness.  Any 
county,  city,  school  district  or  other  municipal  corporation  incurring 
any  indebtedness  as  aforesaid,  shall  before,  or  at  the  time  of  doing  so, 
provide  for  the  collection  of  a  direct  annual  tax  sufficient  to  pay  the 
interest  of  such  debt  as  it  falls  due,  and  also  to  pay  and  discharge  the 
principal  thereof  within  twenty  years  from  the  time  of  contracting 
the  same.  This  section  shall  not  be  construed  to  prevent  any  county, 
city,  township,  school  district,  or  other  municipal  corporation,  from  is- 
suing their  bonds  in  compliance  with  any  vote  of  the  people  which  may 
have  been  had  prior  to  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution  in  pursuance 
of  any  law  providing  therefor. 

§  13.  (Amendment  of  1890.)  The  corporate  authorities  of  the  rity 
of  Chicago  are  hereby  authorized  to  issue  interest-bearing  bonds  of  said 


270  HISTORY  OP  ILLINOIS 

city  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  five  million  dollars,  at  a  rate  of  interest 
not  to  exceed  five  per  centum  per  annum,  the  principal  payable  within 
thirty  years  from  the  date  of  their  issue,  and  the  proceeds  thereof  shall 
be  paid  to  the  treasurer  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition,  and  used 
and  disbursed  by  him  under  the  direction  and  control  of  the  directors, 
in  aid  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition,  to  be  held  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

Provided,  That  if  at  an  election  for  the  adoption  of  this  amendment 
to  the  Constitution,  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  within  the  limits  of  the 
city  of  Chicago,  shall  be  against  its  adoption,  then  no  bonds  shall  be 
issued  under  this  amendment. 

And  said  corporate  authorities  shall  be  repaid  as  large  a  proportionate 
amount  of  the  aid  given  by  them  as  is  repaid  to  the  stockholders  on  the 
sums  subscribed  and  paid  by  them,  and  the  money  so  received  shall  be 
used  in  the  redemption  of  the  bonds  issued  as  aforesaid,  provided  that 
said  authorities  may  take  in  whole  or  in  part  of  the  sum  coming  to 
them  any  permanent  improvements  placed  on  land  held  or  controlled 
by  them. 

And,  provided  further,  That  no  such  indebtedness  so  created  shall  in 
any  part  thereof  be  paid  by  the  State,  or  from  any  State  revenue,  tax 
or  fund,  but  the  same  shall  be  paid  by  the  said  city  of  Chicago  alone. 

ARTICLE  X 
COUNTIES 

§  1.  No  new  county  shall  be  formed  or  established  by  the  General 
Assembly  which  will  reduce  the  county  or  counties,  or  either  of  them, 
from  which  it  shall  be  taken  to  less  contents  than  four  hundred  square 
miles ;  nor  shall  any  county  be  formed  of  less  contents ;  nor  shall  any  line 
thereof  pass  within  less  than  ten  miles  of  any  county  seat  of  the  county 
or  counties  proposed  to  be  divided. 

§  2.  No  county  shall  be  divided,  or  have  any  part  stricken  therefrom 
without  submitting  the  question  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  county, 
nor  unless  a  majority  of  all  the  legal  voters  of  the  county  voting  on  the 
question  shall  vote  for  the  same. 

§  3.  There  shall  be  no  territory  stricken  from  any  county,  unless  a 
majority  of  the  voters  living  in  such  territory  shall  petition  for  such  di- 
vision; and  no  territory  shall  be  added  to  any  county  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  majority  of  the  voters  of  the  county  to  which  it  is  proposed 
to  be  added.  But  the  portion  so  stricken  off  and  added  to  another 
county,  or  formed  in  whole  or  in  part  into  a  new  county,  shall  be  holden 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  271 

for,  and  obliged  to  pay  its  proportion  of,  the  indebtedness  of  the  county 
from  which  it  has  been  taken. 

COUNTY   SEATS 

§  4.  No  county  seat  shall  be  removed  until  the  point  to  which  it  is 
proposed  to  remove  shall  be  fixed  in  pursuance  of  law,  and  three  fifths 
of  the  voters  of  the  county,  to  be  ascertained  in  such  manner  as  shall  be 
provided  by  general  law,  shall  have  voted  in  favor  of  its  removal  to  such 
point ;  and  no  person  shall  vote  on  such  question  who  has  not  resided  in 
the  county  six  months,  and  in  the  election  precinct  ninety  days  next 
preceding  such  election.  The  question  of  the  removal  of  a  county  seat 
shall  not  be  oftener  submitted  than  once  in  ten  years,  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  But  when  an  attempt  is  made  to  remove  a  county  seat  to  a 
point  nearer  to  the  center  of  the  county,  then  a  majority  vote  only  shall 
be  necessary. 

COUNTY   GOVERNMENT 

§  5.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide,  by  general  law,  for  town- 
ship organization,  under  which  any  county  may  organize  whenever  a 
majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  such  county,  voting  at  any  general  elec- 
tion, shall  so  determine ;  and  whenever  any  county  shall  adopt  township 
organization,  so  much  of  this  Constitution  as  provides  for  the  manage- 
ment of  the  fiscal  concerns  of  the  said  county  by  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  may  be  dispensed  with,  and  the  affairs  of  said  county 
may  be  transacted  in  such  manner  as  the  General  Assembly  may  pro- 
vide. And  in  any  county  that  shall  have  adopted  a  township  organiza- 
tion, the  question  of  continuing  the  same  may  be  submitted  to  a  vote 
of  the  electors  of  such  county,  at  a  general  election,  in  the  manner  that 
now  is  or  may  be  provided  by  law;  and  if  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast 
upon  that  question  shall  be  against  township  organization,  then  such 
organization  shall  cease  in  said  county;  and  all  laws  in  force  in  relation 
to  counties  not  having  township  organization,  shall  immediately  take 
effect  and  be  in  force  in  such  county.  No  two  townships  shall  have  the 
same  name,  and  the  day  of  holding  the  annual  township  meeting  shall 
be  uniform  throughout  the  State. 

§  6.  At  the  first  election  of  county  judges  under  this  Constitution, 
there  shall  be  elected  in  each  of  the  counties  in  this  State,  not  under 
township  organization,  three  officers,  who  shall  be  styled,  "The  Board 
of  County  Commissioners,"  who  shall  hold  sessions  for  the  transaction 
of  county  business  as  shall  be  provided  by  law.  One  of  said  commis- 
sioners shall  hold  his  office  for  one  year,  one  for  two  years,  and  one  for 
three  years,  to  be  determined  by  lot ;  and  every  year  thereafter  one  such 


272  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

officer  shall  be  elected  in  each  of  said  counties  for  the  term  of  three 
years. 

§  7.  The  county  affairs  of  Cook  county  shall  be  managed  by  a  board  of 
commissioners  of  fifteen  persons,  ten  of  whom  shall  be  elected  from  the 
city  of  Chicago  and  five  from  towns  outside  of  said  city,  in  such  manner 
as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

COUNTY   OFFICERS   AND    THEIR   COMPENSATION 

§  8.  (Amended  in  1880.)  In  each  county  there  shall  be  elected  the 
following  county  officers,  at  the  general  election  to  be  held  on  the  Tues- 
day after  the  first  Monday  in  November,  A.  D.  1882:  A  county  judge, 
county  clerk,  sheriff  and  treasurer,  and  at  the  election  to  be  held  on  the 
Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November,  A.  D.  1884,  a  coroner  and 
clerk  of  the  circuit  court  (who  may  be  ex  officio  recorder  of  deeds,  except 
in  counties  having  60,000  and  more  inhabitants,  in  which  counties  a 
recorder  of  deeds  shall  be  elected  at  the  general  election  in  1884).  Each 
of  said  officers  shall  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  respectively,  on 
the  first  Monday  of  December  after  his  election,  and  they  shall  hold 
their  respective  offices  for  the  term  of  four  years,  and  until  their  suc- 
cessors are  elected  and  qualified:  Provided,  that  no  person  having  once 
been  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff  or  treasurer,  shall  be  eligible  to  re- 
election to  said  office  for  four  years  after  the  expiration  of  the  term  for 
which  he  shall  have  been  elected. 

§  9.  The  clerks  of  all  courts  of  record,  the  treasurer,  sheriff,  coroner 
and  recorder  of  deeds  of  Cook  county,  shall  receive  as  their  only  com- 
pensation for  their  services,  salaries  to  be  fixed  by  law,  which  shall  in 
no  case  be  as  much  as  the  lawful  compensation  of  a  judge  of  the  circuit 
court  of  said  county  and  shall  be  paid  respectively,  only  out  of  the  fees 
of  the  office  actually  collected.  All  fees,  perquisites  and  emoluments 
(above  the  amount  of  said  salaries)  shall  be  paid  into  the  county  treas- 
ury. The  number  of  the  deputies  and  assistants  of  such  officers  shall  be 
determined  by  rule  of  the  circuit  court,  to  be  entered  of  record,  and 
their  compensation  shall  be  determined  by  the  county  board. 

§  10.  The  county  board,  except  as  provided  in  section  nine  of  this 
article,  shall  fix  the  compensation  of  all  county  officers,  with  the  amount 
of  their  necessary  clerk  hire,  stationery,  fuel,  and  other  expenses,  and  in 
all  cases  where  fees  are  provided  for,  said  compensation  shall  be  paid 
only  out  of,  and  shall  in  no  instance  exceed,  the  fees  actually  collected; 
they  shall  not  allow  either  of  them  more  per  annum  than  fifteen  hundred 
dollars,  in  counties  not  exceeding  twenty  thousand  inhabitants;  two 
thousand  dollars,  in  counties  containing  twenty  thousand  and  not  ex- 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  273 

ceeding  thirty  thousand  inhabitants;  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  in 
counties  containing  thirty  thousand  and  not  exceeding  fifty  thousand  in- 
habitants; three  thousand  dollars,  in  counties  containing  fifty  thousand 
and  not  exceeding  seventy  thousand  inhabitants;  thirty-five  hundred 
dollars,  in  counties  containing  seventy  thousand  and  not  exceeding  one 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants;  and  four  thousand  dollars,  in  counties 
containing  over  one  hundred  thousand,  and  not  exceeding  two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  inhabitants;  and  not  more  than  one  thousand  dollars 
additional  compensation  for  each  additional  one  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants; Provided,  that  the  compensation  of  no  officer  shall  be  in- 
creased or  diminished  during  his  term  of  office.  All  fees  or  allowances 
by  them  received,  in  excess  of  their  said  compensation,  shall  be  paid  into 
the  county  treasury. 

§  11.  The  fees  of  township  officers,  and  of  each  class  of  county  officers, 
shall  be  uniform  in  the  class  of  counties  to  which  they  respectively  be- 
long. The  compensation  herein  provided  for  shall  apply  only  to  officers 
hereafter  elected,  but  all  fees  established  by  special  laws  shall  cease  at 
the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  and  such  officers  shall  receive  only 
such  fees  as  are  provided  by  general  law. 

§  12.  All  laws  fixing  the  fees  of  State,  county  and  township  officers, 
shall  terminate  with  the  terms  respectively  of  those  who  may  be  in 
office  at  the  meeting  of  the  first  General  Assembly  after  the  adoption  of 
this  Constitution;  and  the  General  Assembly  shall,  by  general  law,  uni- 
form in  its  operation,  provide  for  and  regulate  the  fees  of  said  officers 
and  their  successors,  so  as  to  reduce  the  same  to  a  reasonable  com- 
pensation for  services  actually  rendered.  But  the  General  Assembly 
may,  by  general  law,  classify  the  counties  by  population  into  not  more 
than  three  classes,  and  regulate  the  fees  according  to  class.  This  article 
shall  not  be  construed  as  depriving  the  General  Assembly  of  the  power 
to  reduce  the  fees  of  existing  officers. 

§  13.  Every  person  who  is  elected  or  appointed  to  any  office  in  this 
State,  who  shall  be  paid  in  whole  or  in  part  by  fees,  shall  be  required  by 
law  to  make  a  semi-annual  report,  under  oath,  to  some  officer  to  be 
designated  by  law,  of  all  his  fees  and  emoluments.  ' 

ARTICLE  XI 
CORPORATIONS 

§  1.  No  corporation  shall  be  created  by  special  laws,  or  its  charter  ex- 
tended, changed  or  amended,  except  those  for  charitable,  educational, 
penal  or  reformatory  purposes,  which  are  to  be  and  remain  under  the 
patronage  and  control  of  the  State,  but  the  General  Assembly  shall  pro- 
Illinois— 18 


274  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

vide,  by  general  laws,  for  the  organization  of  all  corporations  hereafter 
to  be  created. 

§  2.  All  existing  charters  or  grants  of  special  or  exclusive  privileges, 
under  which  organization  shall  not  have  taken  place,  or  which  shall  not 
have  been  in  operation  within  ten  days  from  the  time  this  Constitution 
takes  effect,  shall  thereafter  have  no  validity  or  effect  whatever. 

§  3.  The  General  Assembly  shall  provide,  by  law,  that  in  all  elections 
for  directors  or  managers  of  incorporated  companies,  every  stockholder 
shall  have  the  right  to  vote,  in  person  or  by  proxy,  for  the  number  of 
shares  of  stock  owned  by  him,  for  as  many  persons  as  there  are  directors 
or  managers  to  be  elected,  or  to  cumulate  said  shares,  and  give  one 
candidate  as  many  votes  as  the  number  of  directors  multiplied  by  the 
number  of  his  shares  of  stock  shall  equal,  or  to  distribute  them  on  the 
same  principle  among  as  many  candidates  as  he  shall  think  fit ;  and  such 
directors  or  managers  shall  not  be  elected  in  any  other  manner. 

§  4.  No  law  shall  be  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  granting  the 
right  to  construct  and  operate  a  street  railroad  within  any  city,  town 
or  incorporated  village,  without  requiring  the  consent  of  the  local  au- 
thorities having  the  control  of  the  street  or  highway  proposed  to  be  occu- 
pied by  such  street  railroad. 


§  5.  No  State  bank  shall  hereafter  be  created,  nor  shall  the  State  own 
or  be  liable  for  any  stock  in  any  corporation  or  joint-stock  company  or 
association  for  banking  purposes  now  created,  or  to  be  hereafter  created. 
No  act  of  the  General  Assembly  authorizing  or  creating  corporations  or 
associations  with  banking  powers,  whether  of  issue,  deposit  or  discount, 
nor  amendments  thereto,  shall  go  into  effect  or  in  any  manner  be  in 
force,  unless  the  same  shall  be  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  at  the 
general  election  next  succeeding  the  passage  of  the  same,  and  be  ap- 
proved by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  such  election  for  or  against 
such  law. 

§  6.  Every  stockholder  in  a  banking  corporation  or  institution  shall 
be  individually  responsible  and  liable  to  its  creditors,  over  and  above 
the  amount  of  stock  by  him  or  her  held,  to  an  amount  equal  to  his  or  her 
respective  shares  so  held,  for  all  its  liabilities  accruing  while  he  or  she 
remains  such  stockholder. 

§  7.  The  suspension  of  specie  payments  by  banking  institutions,  on 
their  circulation,  created  by  the  laws  of  this  State,  shall  never  be  per- 
mitted or  sanctioned.  Every  banking  association  now,  or  which  may 
hereafter  be,  organized  under  the  laws  of  this  State,  shall  make  and  pub- 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  275 

lish  a  full  and  accurate  quarterly  statement  of  its  affairs  (which  shall  be 
certified  to,  under  oath,  by  one  or  more  of  its  officers)  as  may  be  pro- 
vided by  law. 

§  8.  If  a  general  banking  law  shall  be  enacted,  it  shall  provide  for  the 
registry  and  countersigning,  by  an  officer  of  State,  of  all  bills  or  paper 
credit  designed  to  circulate  as  money,  and  require  security,  to  the  full 
amount  thereof,  to  be  deposited  with  the  State  Treasurer,  in  United 
States  or  Illinois  State  stocks,  to  be  rated  at  10  per  cent  below  their  par 
value;  and  in  case  of  a  depreciation  of  said  stocks  to  the  amount  of  ten 
per  cent  below  par,  the  bank  or  banks  owing  said  stocks  shall  be  required 
to  make  up  said  deficiency  by  depositing  additional  stocks.  And  said 
law  shall  also  provide  for  the  recording  of  the  names  of  all  stockholders 
in  such  corporations,  the  amount  of  stock  held  by  each,  the  time  of  any 
transfer  thereof,  and  to  whom  such  transfer  is  made. 

RAILROADS 

§  9.  Every  railroad  corporation  organized  or  doing  business  in  this 
State,  under  the  laws  or  authority  thereof,  shall  have  and  maintain  a 
public  office  or  place  in  this  State  for  the  transaction  of  its  business, 
where  transfers  of  stock  shall  be  made,  and  in  which  shall  be  kept 
for  public  inspection,  books  in  which  shall  be  recorded  the  amount  of 
capital  stock  subscribed,  and  by  whom;  the  names  of  the  owners  of  its 
stock,  and  the  amounts  owned  by  them  respectively;  the  amount  of 
stock  paid  in,  and  by  whom ;  the  transfers  of  said  stock,  the  amount  of 
its  assets  and  liabilities,  and  the  names  and  place  of  residence  of  its 
officers.  The  directors  of  every  railroad  corporation  shall  annually 
make  a  report,  under  oath,  to  the  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts,  or  some 
officer  to  be  designated  by  law,  of  all  their  acts  and  doings,  which 
report  shall  include  such  matters  relating  to  railroads  as  may  be  pre- 
scribed by  law.  And  the  General  Assembly  shall  pass  laws  enforcing 
by  suitable  penalties  the  provisions  of  this  section. 

§  10.  The  rolling  stock,  and  all  other  movable  property  belonging  to 
any  railroad  company  or  corporation  in  this  State,  shall  be  considered 
personal  property,  and  shall  be  liable  to  execution  and  sale  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  personal  property  of  individuals,  and  the  General 
Assembly  shall  pass  no  law  exempting  any  such  property  from  execu- 
tion and  sale. 

§  11.  No  railroad  corporation  shall  consolidate  its  stock,  property  or 
franchises  with  any  other  railroad  corporation  owning  a  parallel  or 
competing  line;  and  in  no  case  shall  any  consolidation  take  place  except 
upon  public  notice  given,  of  at  least  60  days,  to  all  stockholders,  in  such 


276  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

manner  as  may  be  provided  by  law.  A  majority  of  the  directors  of  any 
railroad  corporation,  now  incorporated  or  hereafter  to  be  incorporated 
by  the  laws  of  this  State,  shall  be  citizens  and  residents  of  this  State. 

§  12.  Railways  heretofore  constructed  or  that  may  hereafter  be  con- 
structed in  this  State,  are  hereby  declared  public  highways,  and  shall 
be  free  to  all  persons  for  the  transportation  of  their  persons  and  prop- 
erty thereon,  under  such  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law. 
And  the  General  Assembly  shall,  from  time  to  time,  pass  laws  establish- 
ing reasonable  maximum  rates  of  charges  for  the  transportation  of 
passengers  and  freight  on  the  different  railroads  in  this  State. 

§  13.  No  railroad  corporation  shall  issue  any  stock  or  bonds,  except 
for  money,  labor  or  property  actually  received  and  applied  to  the 
purposes  for  which  such  corporation  was  created;  and  all  stock  divi- 
dends, and  other  fictitious  increase  of  capital  stock  or  indebtedness  of 
any  such  corporations,  shall  be  void.  The  capital  stock  of  no  railroad 
corporation  shall  be  increased  for  any  purpose,  except  upon  giving 
60  days'  public  notice,  in  such  manner  as  may  be  provided  by  law. 

§  14.  The  exercise  of  power  and  the  right  of  eminent  domain  shall 
never  be  so  construed  or  abridged  as  to  prevent  the  taking,  by  the 
General  Assembly,  of  the  property  and  franchises  of  incorporated  com- 
panies already  organized,  and  subjecting  them  to  the  public  necessity 
the  same  as  of  individuals.  The  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  held  in- 
violate in  all  trials  of  claims  for  compensation,  when,  in  the  exercise  of 
the  said  right  of  eminent  domain,  any  incorporated  company  shall  be 
interested  either  for  or  against  the  exercise  of  said  right. 

§  15.  The  General  Assembly  shall  pass  laws  to  correct  abuses  and 
prevent  unjust  discrimination  and  extortion  in  the  rates  of  freight  and 
passenger  tariffs  on  the  different  railroads  in  this  State,  and  enforce 
such  laws  by  adequate  penalties,  to  the  extent,  if  necessary  for  that 
purpose,  of  forfeiture  of  their  property  and  franchises. 

ARTICLE  XII 
MILITIA 

§  1.  The  militia  of  the  State  of  Illinois  shall  consist  of  all  able-bodied 
male  persons,  resident  in  the  State,  between  the  ages  of  18  and  45, 
except  such  persons  as  now  are  or  hereafter  may  be  exempted  by  the 
laws  of  the  United  States  or  of  this  State. 

§  2.  The  General  Assembly,  in  providing  for  the  organization, 
equipment  and  discipline  of  the  militia,  shall  conform  as  nearly  as 
practicable  to  the  regulations  for  the  government  of  the  armies  of  the 
United  States. 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  277 

§  3.  All  militia  officers  shall  be  commissioned  by  the  Governor,  and 
may  hold  their  commissions  for  such  time  as  the  General  Assembly  may 
provide. 

§  4.  The  militia  shall,  in  all  cases  except  treason,  felony  or  breach  of 
the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance  at  musters 
and  elections,  and  in  going  to  and  returning  from  the  same. 

§  5.  The  military  records,  banners  and  relics  of  the  State  shall  be 
preserved  as  an  enduring  memorial  of  the  patriotism  and  valor  of  Illi- 
nois, and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  General  Assembly  to  provide  by  law 
for  the  safe-keeping  of  the  same. 

§  6.  No  persons  having  conscientious  scruples  against  bearing  arms 
shall  be  compelled  to  do  militia  duty  in  the  time  of  peace:  Provided, 
such  person  shall  pay  an  equivalent  for  such  exemption. 

ARTICLE  XIII 
WAREHOUSES 

§  1.  All  elevators  or  storehouses  where  grain  or  other  property  is 
stored  for  a  compensation,  whether  the  property  stored  be  kept  separate 
or  not,  are  declared  to  be  public  warehouses. 

§  2.  The  owner,  lessee  or  manager  of  each  and  every  public  warehouse 
situated  in  any  town  or  city  of  not  less  than  100,000  inhabitants,  shall 
make  weekly  statements  under  oath,  before  some  officer  to  be  designated 
-by  law,  and  keep  the  same  posted  in  some  conspicuous  place  in  the 
office  of  such  warehouse,  and  shall  also  file  a  copy  for  public  examination 
in  such  place  as  shall  be  designated  by  law,  which  statement  shall  cor- 
rectly set  forth  the  amount  and  grade  of  each  and  every  kind  of  grain  in 
such  warehouse,  together  with  such  other  property  as  may  be  stored 
therein,  and  what  warehouse  receipts  have  been  issued,  and  are,  at  the 
time  of  making  such  statement,  outstanding  therefor;  and  shall,  on  the 
copy  posted  in  the  warehouse,  note  daily  such  changes  as  may  be  made 
in  the  quantity  and  grade  of  gram  in  such  warehouse;  and  the  different 
grades  of  grain  shipped  in  separate  lots  shall  not  be  mixed  with  inferior 
or  superior  grades  without  the  consent  of  the  owner  or  consignee  thereof. 

§  3.  The  owners  of  property  stored  in  any  warehouse,  or  holder  of  a 
receipt  for  the  same,  shall  always  be  at  liberty  to  examine  such  property 
stored,  and  all  the  books  and  records  of  the  warehouse,  in  regard  to  such 
property. 

§  4.  All  railroad  companies  and  other  common  carriers  on  railroads 
shall  weigh  or  measure  grain  at  points  where  it  is  shipped  and,  receipt 
for  the  full  amount,  and  shall  be  responsible  for  the  delivery  of  sueli 
amount  to  the  owner  or  consignee  thereof,  at  the  place  of  destination. 


278  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

§  5.  All  railroad  companies  receiving  and  transporting  grain  in  bulk 
or  otherwise,  shall  deliver  the  same  to  any  consignee  thereof,  or  any 
elevator  or  public  warehouse  to  which  it  may  be  consigned,  provided 
such  consignee  or  the  elevator  or  public  warehouse  can  be  reached  by  any 
track  owned,  leased  or  used,  or  which  can  be  used,  by  such  railroad  com- 
panies; and  all  railroad  companies  shall  permit  connections  to  be  made 
with  their  track,  so  that  any  such  consignee  and  any  public  warehouse, 
coal  bank  or  coal  yard  may  be  reached  by  the  cars  on  said  railroad. 

§  6.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  General  Assembly  to  pass  all  neces- 
sary laws  to  prevent  the  issue  of  false  and  fraudulent  warehouse  re- 
ceipts, and  to  give  full  effect  to  this  article  of  the  Constitution,  which 
shall  be  liberally  construed  so  as  to  protect  producers  and  shippers. 
And  the  enumeration  of  the  remedies  herein  named  shall  not  be  con- 
strued to  deny  to  the  General  Assembly  the  power  to  prescribe  by  law 
such  other  and  further  remedies  as  may  be  found  expedient,  or  to  de- 
prive any  person  of  existing  common-law  remedies. 

§  7.  The  General  Assembly  shall  pass  laws  for  the  inspection  of 
grain,  for  the  protection  of  producers,  shippers  and  receivers  of  grain 
and  produce. 

ARTICLE  XIV 
AMENDMENTS  TO  THE  CONSTITUTION 

§  1.  Whenever  two  thirds  of  the  members  of  each  house  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  shall,  by  a  vote  entered  upon  the  journals  thereof,  concur 
that  a  convention  is  necessary  to  revise,  alter  or  amend  the  Constitu- 
tion, the  question  shall  be  submitted  to  the  electors  at  the  next  general 
election.  If  a  majority  voting  at  the  election  vote  for  a  convention,  the 
General  Assembly  shall,  at  the  next  session,  provide  for  a  convention,  to 
consist  of  double  the  number  of  members  of  the  Senate,  to  be  elected  in 
the  same  manner,  at  the  same  places,  and  in  the  same  districts.  The 
General  Assembly  shall,  in  the  act  catting  the  convention,  designate  the 
day,  hour  and  place  of  its  meeting,  fix  the  pay  of  its  members  and 
officers,  and  provide  for  the  payment  of  the  same,  together  with  the 
expenses  necessarily  incurred  by  the  convention  in  the  performance  of 
its  duties.  Before  proceeding,  the  members  shall  take  an  oath  to  sup- 
port the  Constitutions  of  the  United  States  and  the  State  of  Illinois,  and 
to  faithfully  discharge  their  duties  as  members  of  the  convention.  The 
qualification  of  members  shall  be  the  same  as  that  of  members  of  the 
Senate,  and  vacancies  occurring  shall  be  filled  in  the  manner  provided  for 
filling  vacancies  in  the  General  Assembly.  Said  convention  shall  meet 
within  three  months  after  such  election,  and  prepare  such  revision, 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  279 

alteration  or  amendments  of  the  Constitution  as  shall  be  deemed  neces- 
sary, which  shall  be  submitted  to  the  electors  for  their  ratification  or 
rejection  at  an  election  appointed  by  the  convention  for  that  purpose, 
not  less  than  two  or  more  than  six  months  after  the  adjournment 
thereof;  and  unless  so  submitted,  and  approved  by  a  majority  of  the 
electors  voting  at  the  election,  no  such  revision,  alteration  or  amend- 
ments shall  take  effect. 

§  2.  Amendments  to  this  Constitution  may  be  proposed  in  either 
house  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  if  the  same  shall  be  voted  for  by 
two  thirds  of  all  the  members  elected  to  each  of  the  two  houses,  such 
proposed  amendments,  together  with  the  ayes  and  nays  of  each  house 
thereon,  shall  be  entered  in  full  on  their  respective  journals,  and  said 
amendments  shall  be  submitted  to  the  electors  of  this  State  for  adop- 
tion or  rejection,  at  the  next  election  of  members  of  the  General  As- 
sembly, in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law.  The  proposed 
amendments  shall  be  published  in  full  at  least  three  months  preceding 
the  election,  and  if  a  majority  of  the  electors  voting  at  said  election  shall 
vote  for  the  proposed  amendments,  they  shall  become  a  part  of  this 
Constitution.  But  the  General  Assembly  shall  have  no  power  to  pro- 
pose amendments  to  more  than  one  article  of  this  Constitution  at  the 
same  session  nor  to  the  same  article  oftener  than  once  in  four  years. 

SECTIONS  SEPARATELY  SUBMITTED 
ILLINOIS   CENTRAL   RAILROAD 

No  contract,  obligation  or  liability  whatever,  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  to  pay  any  money  into  the  State  treasury,  nor  any 
lien  of  the  State  upon,  or  right  to  tax  property  of  said  company,  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  charter  of  said  company,  ap- 
proved February  tenth,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-one,  shall  ever  be  released,  suspended,  modified, 
altered,  remitted,  or  in  any  manner  diminished  or  impaired  by  legislative 
or  other  authority;  and  all  moneys  derived  from  said  company,  after 
the  payment  of  the  State  debt,  shall  be  appropriated  and  set  apart  for 
the  payment  of  the  ordinary  expenses  of  the  State  government,  and 
for  no  other  purposes  whatever. 

MINORITY    REPRESENTATION 

[See  Sections  7  and  8,  Article  IV,  pages  245  and  246.] 
MUNICIPAL  SUBSCRIPTIONS  TO   RAILROADS   OR   PRIVATE   CORPORATIONS 

No  county,  city,  town,  township,  or  other  municipality,  shall  ever 


280  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

become  subscriber  to  the  capital  stock  of  any  railroad  or  private  corpo- 
ration, or  make  donation  to  or  loan  its  credit  in  aid  of  such  corpora- 
tion: Provided,  however,  that  the  adoption  of  this  article  shall  not  be 
construed  as  affecting  the  right  of  any  such  municipality  to  make  such 
subscriptions  where  the  same  have  been  authorized,  under  existing 
laws,  by  a  vote  of  the  people  of  such  municipalities  prior  to  such 
adoption. 

CANAL  [RAILROAD  STATE  AID  PROHIBITED] 

The  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  shall  never  be  sold  or  leased  until  the 
specific  proposition  for  the  sale  or  lease  thereof  shall  first  have  been 
submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  the  State,  at  a  general  election,  and 
have  been  approved  by  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  polled  at  such  elec- 
tion. The  General  Assembly  shall  never  loan  the  credit  of  the  State, 
or  make  appropriations  from  the  treasury  thereof,  in  aid  of  railroads  or 
canals:  Provided,  that  any  surplus  earnings  of  any  canal  may  be  ap- 
propriated for  its  enlargement  or  extension. 

SCHEDULE 

That  no  inconveniences  may  arise  from  the  alterations  and  amend- 
ments made  in  the  Constitution  of  this  State,  and  to  carry  the  same  into 
complete  effect,  it  is  hereby  ordained  and  declared: 

§  1.  That  all  laws  in  force  at  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  not 
inconsistent  therewith,  and  all  rights,  actions,  prosecutions,  claims  and 
contracts  of  the  State,  individuals  or  bodies  corporate,  shall  continue  to 
-be  as  valid  as  if  this  Constitution  had  not  been  adopted. 

§  2.  That  all  fines,  taxes,  penalties  and  forfeitures,  due  and  owing  to 
the  State  of  Illinois  under  the  present  Constitution  and  laws,  shall  inure 
to  the  use  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  under  this  Constitution. 

§  3.  Recognizances,  bonds,  obligations,  and  other  instruments  en- 
tered into  or  executed  before  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution,  to  the 
people  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  to  any  State  or  county  officer,  or  public 
body,  shall  remain  binding  and  valid ;  and  rights  and  liabilities  upon  the 
same  shall  continue,  and  all  crimes  and  misdemeanors  shall  be  tried  and 
punished  as  though  no  change  had  been  made  in  the  Constitution  of  this 
State. 

§  4.  County  courts  for  the  transaction  of  county  business  in  counties 
not  having  adopted  township  organization  shall  continue  in  existence, 
and  exercise  their  present  jurisdiction  until  the  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners provided  in  this  Constitution  is  organized  in  pursuance  of  an  act 
of  the  General  Assembly;  and  the  county  courts  in  all  other  counties 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  281 

shall  have  the  same  power  and  jurisdiction  they  now  possess  until 
otherwise  provided  by  law. 

§  5.  All  existing  courts  which  are  not  in  this  Constitution  specifically 
enumerated  shall  continue  in  existence  and  exercise  their  present  juris- 
diction until  otherwise  provided  by  law. 

§  6.  All  persons  now  filling  any  office  or  appointment  shall  continue 
in  the  exercise  of  the  duties  thereof  according  to  their  respective  com- 
missions or  appointments,  unless  by  this  Constitution  it  is  otherwise 
directed. 

[Sections  7  to  17,  both  inclusive,  providing  for  the  submission  of  this  Constitu- 
tion and  voting  thereon  by  the  people,  and  for  the  first  elections  under  the  Con- 
stitution, are  omitted  as  .of  no  further  effect.] 

§  18.  All  laws  of  the  State  of  Illinois  and  all  official  writings,  and  the 
executive,  legislative  and  judicial  proceedings,  shall  be  conducted, 
preserved  and  published  in  no  other  than  the  English  language. 

§  19.  The  General  Assembly  shall  pass  all  laws  necessary  to  carry 
into  effect  the  provisions  of  this  Constitution. 

§  20.  The  circuit  clerks  of  the  different  counties  having  a  population 
over  60,000  shall  continue  to  be  recorders  (ex  officio)  for  their  respective 
counties,  under  this  Constitution,  until  the  expiration  of  their  respective 
terms. 

§  21.  The  judges  of  all  courts  of  record  in  Cook  county  shall,  in  lieu  of 
any  salary  provided  for  in  this  Constitution,  receive  the  compensation 
provided  by  law  until  the  adjournment  of  the  first  session  of  the  General 
Assembly  after  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution. 

§  22.  The  present  judge  of  the  circuit  court  of  Cook  county  shall 
continue  to  hold  the  circuit  court  of  Lake  county  until  otherwise  pro- 
vided by  law. 

§  23.  When  this  Constitution  shall  be  adopted  and  take  effect  as  the 
supreme  law  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  the  two-mill  tax  provided  to  be 
annually  assessed  and  collected  upon  each  dollar's  worth  of  taxable 
property,  in  addition  to  all  other  taxes,  as  set  forth  in  article  fifteen  of 
the  now  existing  Constitution,  shall  cease  to  be  assessed  after  the  year 
of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy. 

§  24.  Nothing  contained  in  this  Constitution  shall  be  so  construed  as 
to  deprive  the  General  Assembly  of  power  to  authorize  the  city  of 
Quincy  to  create  any  indebtedness  for  railroad  or  municipal  purposes 
for  which  the  people  of  said  city  shall  have  voted  and  to  which  they  shall 
have  given,  by  such  vote,  their  assent,  prior  to  the  thirteenth  day  of 
December,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
sixty-nine:  Provided,  that  no  such  indebtedness  so  created  shall,  in  any 
part  thereof,  be  paid  by  the  State  or  from  any  State  revenue  tax  or 


282  HISTORY  OF  ILLINOIS 

fund,  but  the  same  shall  be  paid,  if  at  all,  by  the  city  of  Quincy  alone, 
and  by  taxes  to  be  levied  upon  the  taxable  property  thereof:  And, 
provided  further,  that  the  General  Assembly  shall  have  no  power  in  the 
premises  that  it  could  not  exercise  under  the  present  Constitution  of  the 
State. 

§  25.  In  case  this  Constitution,  and  the  articles  and  sections  sub- 
mitted separately  to  be  adopted,  the  existing  Constitution  shall  cease 
in  all  its  provisions;  and  in  case  this  Constitution  be  adopted,  and  any 
one  or  more  of  the  articles  or  sections  submitted  separately  be  defeated, 
the  provisions  of  the  existing  Constitution,  if  any,  on  the  same  subject 
shall  remain  in  force. 

§  26.  The  provisions  of  this  Constitution  required  to  be  executed 
prior  to  the  adoption  or  rejection  thereof,  shall  take  effect  and  be  in 
force  immediately. 

[ATTESTATION] 

Done  in  convention  at  the  Capitol  in  the  city  of  Springfield,  on  the 
thirteenth  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  seventy,  and  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States  of 
America  the  ninety-fourth. 

In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  subscribed  our  names. 

CHARLES  HITCHCOCK,  President. 

William  J.  Allen,  Robert  J.  Cross, 

John  Abbott,  Samuel  P.  Cummings, 

James  C.  Allen,  John  Dement, 

Elliott  Anthony,  G.  S.  Eldridge, 

Wm.  R.  Archer,  James  W.  English, 

Henry  I.  Atkins,  David  Ellis, 

James  G.  Bayne,  Ferris  Forman, 

R.  M.  Benjamin,  Jesse  C.  Fox, 

H.  P.  H.  Bromwell,  M^iles  A.  Fuller, 

O.  H.  Browning,  John  P.  Gamble, 

Wm.  G.  Bowman,  Addison  Goodell, 

Silas  L.  Bryan,  John  C.  Haines, 

H.  P.  Buxton,  Elijah  M.  Haines, 

Daniel  Cameron,  John  W.  Hankins, 

William  Gary,  R.  P.  Hanna, 

Lawrence  S.  Church,  Joseph  Hart, 

Hiram  H.  Cody,  Abel  Harwood, 

W.  F.  Coolbaugh,  Milton  Hay, 

Alfred  M.  Craig,  Samuel  Snowden  Hayes, 


CONSTITUTION  OF  ILLINOIS  283 

Jesse  S.  Hildrup,  Wm.  H.  Snyder, 

Jas.  McCoy,  O.  C.  Skinner, 

Charles  E.  McDowell,  Westel  W.  Sedgwick, 

William  C.  Goodhue,  Charles  F.  Springer, 

Joseph  Medill,  John  L.  Tincher, 

Clifton  H.  Moore,  C.  Truesdale, 

Jonathan  Merriam,  Henry  Tubbs, 

Joseph  Parker,  Thomas  J.  Turner, 

Samuel  C.  Parker,  Wm.  H.  Underwood, 

Peleg  S.  Perley,  Wm.  L.  Vande venter, 

J.  S.  Poage,    '  Henry  W.  Wells, 

Edward  Y.  Rice,  George  E.  Wait, 

James  P.  Robinson,  George  W.  Wall, 

Lewis  W.  Ross,  R.  B.  Sutherland, 

Robert  A.  King,  D.  C.  Wagner, 

William  P.  Pierce,  George  R.  Wendling, 

N.  J.  Pillsbury,  Chas.  Wheaton, 

John  Scholfield,  L.  D.  Whiting, 

James  M.  Sharp,  John  H.  Wilson, 

Henry  Sherell,  Orlando  H.  Wright. 

ATTEST:  John  Q.  Harmon,  Secretary. 

Daniel  Shepherd,  First  Assistant  Secretary. 
A.  H.  Swain,  Second  Assistant  Secretary. 

AMENDMENT  OF  1886 
CONTRACT  CONVICT  LABOR 

Hereafter  it  shall  be  unlawful  for  the  commissioners  of  any  peni- 
tentiary or  other  reformatory  institution  in  the  State  of  Illinois  to  let 
by  contract  to  any  person  or  persons,  or  corporations,  the  labor  of  any 
convict  confined  within  said  institution. 

|For  other  amendments,  see  Art.  IV,  §§  31,  34;  Art.  V,  §  16;  Art.  IX,  §  13; 
Art.  X,  §  8.] 


INDEX 


Abolitionists,  135-137 

Addams,  Jane,  222 

Agricultural  interests  of  the  state, 

196-198 

Allouez,  Father,  31 
Altgeld,  Governor,  184,  219 
Alton,  101,  113,  132 
Animals  of  Illinois,  109-111,  203, 

204 

Arbitration,  Board  of,  200 
Asylums,  state,  205,  206 
Attorney-general,  191 
Auditor,  state,  190 
Australian  ballot  system,  218 

B 

Beveridge,  Governor,  216 
Bickerdyke,  Mary  A.,  222 
Birkbeck,  Moses,  77,  88,  89 
Bissell,  Governor,  146,  147 
Black  Hawk  War,  92-98 
Board  of  Agriculture,  196 

Arbitration,  200 

Dental  Examiners,  195 

Equalization,  201 

Examiners  of  Architects,  196 

Factory   and    Workshop   In- 
spectors, 200,  201 

Health,  195 

Pardons,  209 


Board  of  Pharmacy,  195 
Prison  Industries,  208 
Public  Charities,  204,  205 

Boards    and    institutions,    state, 
195-211 

Bond,  Shadrach,  66,  81 

Brady,  Tom,  48 

British  rule  in  Illinois,  45-48 

Bryan,  Wm.  J.,  219 

C 

Cahokia,  14,  32 

Cairo,   164,  166 

Camp  Douglas  conspiracy,  175 

Camp  meetings,  103 

Cannon,  Joseph  G.,  219 

Capitol,  state,  116,  117,  217 

Carlin,  Governor,  118 

Cartright,  Peter,  103 

Charitable  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary, 

206 
Charitable  institutions,  state,  204- 

207 

Chase,  Philander,  103 
Chicago,  70,  80,  101,  102,  113,  154, 

156,  175,  177-187 
Chicago, 'commerce  of,  185 
Chicago  Fire,  179-182 
Chicago  Sanitary  Canal,  185 
Chicago    Times,    suppression    of, 

173, 174 


284 


INDEX 


285 


Chicago  University,  178,  179,  187 
Church,  first  Protestant,  76,  77 
Circuit  riders,  103 
Civil  Service  Commission,  207 
Civil  War,  Illinois's  share  in,  163- 

176,  179 

Clark,  George  Rogers,  49-57 
Coal,  11,  12 
Coles,  Edward,  85-89 
Colleges,  103,  161,  187,  214 
Commercial  interests  of  the  state, 

98,  199 

Commissioners,    Educational,    of 
1907,  213 

Fish,  204 

Food,  196 

Game,  203 

Highway,  202,  203 

Labor,  201 

Live  stock^  197,  198 

Railroad     and      Warehouse, 

198,  199 

Company  of  the  West,  33,  34 
Compulsory  Education  Law,  212, 

213 
Constitution,  state,  first,  80, 81,  83 

second,  126,  127     . 

of  1870, 188-194 
Constitutional       convention       of 

1862,  171,  172 
Cook,  Daniel  P.,  88,  91 
Counties  of  Illinois,  237 

origin  of  names,  230 
Court  of  Claims,  202 
Courts,  191,  192 
Crozat's  Grant,  32,  33 
Cullom,  Shelby  M.,  216 


Davis,  David,  216 


Deneen,  Governor,  221 
Direct  Primary  Law,  224,  225 
Dix,  Dorothea  L.,  205 
Douglas,   Stephen  A.,    133,    138- 

142,  148-153,  163,  164 
Duncan,  Governor,  91,  112-117 

E 

Educational  Commission,  213 
Edwards,  Ninian,  68,  69,  81,  90, 

130 
Entomologist,  state,  198 


Factory  and  Workshop  Inspect- 
ors, 200,  201 

Farmers'  Institutes,  197 

Feeble-Minded  Children,  Asylum 
for,  205 

Field,  Eugene,  221 

Fifer,  Governor,  218 

First  settlements,  31-34 

Fish  Commissioners,  204 

Food  Commissioners,  196 

Ford,  Governor,  118,  119,  124,  125 

Fort  Chartres,  34,  35,  40-44,  46, 47 

Fort  Clark,  69 

Fort  Crevecceur,  27 

Fort  Dearborn  massacre,  70-72 

Fort  Massac,  40,  41,  221 

Fort  Russell,  69 

Fort  Saint  Louis  of  the  Rock,  29 

Freeport,  debate  at,  151 

French,  Governor,  127 

French  and  Indian  War,  39-44 

French  life  in  Illinois,  35-38,  104- 
106 

French  protest  against  British 
misrule  in  Illinois,  47 


INDEX 


Fuller,  Melville  W.,  219 

G 

Gage,  Lyman  J.,  219 

Galena,  91 

Game  Commissioner,  203 

Game  Laws,  203,  204 

General  Assembly,  organization 
and  powers  of,  193,  194 

Generals  in  Civil  War,  from  Illi- 
nois, 168 

Geological  Survey,  202 

Gibault,  Father,  54,  55 

Governor,  duties  of  the,  189,  190, 
194 

Governors,  list  of,  240 

Grant,  General  U.  S.,  164-167,  220 

Gresham,  W.  Q.,  219 

H 

Hamilton,  Governor,  216 
Harper,  Pres.  W.  R.,  222 
Harper  High  License  Law,  216 
Harrison,  Carter  H.,  Sr.,  217 
Harrison,  William  Henry,  67,  72 
Haymarket  Riot,  184,  217,  219 
Hennepin,  Father,  12,  26 
Highway  Commissioners,  202,  203 


Illinois,  admitted  to  Union,  79-82 
as  a  territory,  68-69 
at    beginning    of    nineteenth 

century,  73-78 
in  1830-1840,  99-103 
in  1860,  160,  161 
since  1870,  215-226 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  80, 
91,  112,  177,  185 


Illinois  Central  Railroad,  133,  134, 

161 
Illinois  State  Historical  Society, 

222,  223 
Indiana  Territory,  Illinois  a  part 

of,  67 

Indians,  14-17,  65,  67,  69, 102 
Industrial  Home  for  Blind,  206 
Insane,  state  asylums  for,  205 
Insurance  Department,  199 
Internal     Improvement    System, 

112,  113,  118 


Jesuits  in  Illinois,  23 
Joliet,  Louis,  18-21 
Judd,  Norman  A.,  154,  157 
Judicial  system,  191,  192 

K 

Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  138-140 
Kaskaskia,  31,  32,  47,  51,  81,  101, 

218 
Kaskaskia  mission,  21,  22,  31 


LaBalme,  56,  57 
Labor,  Commissioners  of,  201 
Labor  troubles,  184,  199,  200 
Lafayette,  General,  88 
La  Salle,  Sieur  de,  24-30 
Libraries,  187,  214 
Libraries  of  Chicago,  187 
Lieutenant  governor,  190 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  96,   117,  141, 

144-159,  162,  176 
Lincoln-Douglas     debates,     148- 

153 


INDEX 


287 


Lincoln  Monument,  220 

Live  Stock  Commission,  197,  198 

Livermore,  Mary  A.,  222 

Local  Option  Law,  223 

Logan,  John  A.,  217 

Louisiana,  named,  29 

Illinois  a  part  of,  32 
Lovejoy,  Elijah  P.,  113-116,  135 
Lundy,  Benj.,  135,  136 

M 

Macarty,  Chevalier,  40,  42 
Mail  routes,  early,  78 
Manufactures,  10,  11 
Marquette,  Father,  18-23 
Matteson,  Governor,  130 
Membre1,  Father,  26,  29 
Menard,  Pierre,  81 
Mexican  War,  Illinois's  share  in, 

119,  120 
Minerals,  12 
Mining  Board,  201 
Mississippi  River,  20, 104-108 
Moody,  D.  L.,  222 
Mormon  trouble,  102,  121-125 
Mound  builders,  13,  14 

N 

National  conventions  at  Chicago, 

list  of,  184 

Nauvoo,  102,  121-125 
Newspapers,  early,  78,  102,  103, 

177, 178 

Nicolet,  Jean,  18 
Normal  Schools,  211 
Northwest  Territory,  64-66 
Northwestern     University,     178, 

187 


O 

Oglesby,  Richard,  152,  154,  216, 

217,  218 
Ordinance  of  1787,  61-63 


Palmer,  John  M.,  146,  181,  216, 

218 

Pardons,  Board  of,  209 
Parole  system,  209 
Peck,  Rev.  John  Mason,  88 
Penitentiaries,  state,  207,  208 
Peoria,  26,  27,  48,  69,  101,  142 
Pharmacy,  Board  of,  195 
Physical  geography  of  Illinois,  7, 

8,  11,  12 

Pioneer  life,  73-78,  101-103 
Pontiac,  Chief,  43 
Pope,  Nathaniel,  79,  80 
Population,  9,  10,  215 
Prairies,  8,  9 

Prison  Industries,  Board  of,  208 
Prisoners,  betterment  of  condition 

of,  208,  209 
Prominent    citizens  of   the  state, 

list  of,  218,  219,  221,  222 
Public  Charities,   Board  of,   204, 

205 
Public  Instruction,  Supt.  of,  130, 

190,  191 


Quincy,  101 


Q 


R 


Railroad  and  Warehouse  Commis- 
sion, 198, 199 
Railroads,  113,  132-134,  186,  198 


288 


INDEX 


Reformatory,  state,  207,  208 
Republican   Party,   beginning  of, 

143-147 
Republican    state   convention    of 

1904,  221 

Reynolds,  John,  92,  94 
Root,  George  F.,  171 

S 

St.  Ange,  Louis,  42-44 

St.  Clair,  General,  64-66 

School  for  Blind,  206 
Deaf,  206 

Schools,  public,  129-131,  211-213 

Secretary  of  State,  190 

Senators,     U.    S.,   from    Illinois, 
239 

Slavery  in  Illinois,  83-89 

Smith,  Joseph,  121 

Soldiers  and  Sailors'  Home,  206, 
207 

Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home,  207 

Soldiers'  Widows'  Home,  207 

Sons  of  Liberty,  175 

Spalding,  Bishop  J.  L.,  222 

Spaniards,  march  of,  across  Illi- 
nois, 57 

Spanish-American  War,  219,  220 

Springfield,  117,  162 

Starved  Rock,  29 

State     boards    and    institutions, 
195-210,  211 

State  Capitol,  116,  117,217 

"State  Policy,"  132,  133 

Steamboats,  104-108 

Stevenson,  Vice  President,  218 

Strikes  and  labor  troubles,    184, 
199,  200,  217 


Supt.  of  Public  Instruction,  130, 

190,  191 

Supreme  Court,  192 
Swing,  David,  222 


Tanner,  Governor,  219,  220 
Thomas,  Jesse  B.,  81 
Thomas,  Theodore,  222 
Todd,  Col.  John,  58 
Tonty,  Henry  de,  24-29 
Trumbull,  Lyman,  144,  147,  152 

U 

Underground  Railroad,  136,  137 
Union  League  of  America,  171 
University  of  Illinois,  211 


Vandalia,  82,  88,  117 
Vincennes,  55,  56,  67 
Virginia,  Illinois  a  part  of,  58-60 

w 

War  of  1812,  Illinois  in,  68-72 
Washburne,  E.  B.,  143,  166 
Willard,  Frances  E.,  221 
Work,  Henry  Clay,  171 
World's    Columbian    Exposition, 
183,  184 


Yates,  Richard,  ST.,  159,  170,  172, 

173 
Yates,  Richard,  Jr.,  221 


^w 


- 


^  .i. 


^^ 


